perishable

American  

[per-i-shuh-buhl] / ˈpɛr ɪ ʃə bəl /

adjective

1. subject to decay, ruin, or destruction.

   perishable fruits and vegetables.

---

noun

1. Usually perishables. something perishable, especially food.

perishable British  

/ ˈpɛrɪʃəbəl /

adjective

1. liable to rot or wither

---

noun

1. (often plural) a perishable article, esp food

Usage

What does perishable mean? Perishable is used to describe an item, usually food, that typically spoils within a relatively short amount of time, such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products.Such items are often simply called perishables. (When used as a noun, the term is most commonly plural.)The term is often contrasted with nonperishables—food items that can be stored for a long time without spoiling, like dried grains, beans, and pasta.Perishable foods need to be specially stored (like in a refrigerator) or eaten relatively quickly. Nonperishables, on the other hand, are things that will last a long time without refrigeration or other special storage.Example: Let’s try to eat all the perishables before we go on vacation—we don’t want to come back to spoiled milk and rotting tomatoes.

Other Word Forms

• perishability noun
• perishableness noun
• perishably adverb
• unperishable adjective

Etymology

Origin of perishable

First recorded in 1605–15; perish + -able

Example Sentences

In the early 1950s, plumber and construction foreman Steve Henson was working in the Alaskan bush, where perishables like fresh herbs and garlic were hard to come by.

From Salon

The National Farmers Union has broadly welcomed the new deal because it provides easier and quicker access to a big market for perishable products, in which the speed that goods can be moved is important.

From BBC

Good thing too – memes are perishable, but worthwhile art has a long enough shelf life to inform our changing world.

From Salon

Costs could rise immediately on perishable goods caught in limbo at international ports, including avocados and pineapples, said Sung Won Sohn, a former commissioner at the Port of Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times

She added that perishable crops, including strawberries, lettuce, and dairy, face immediate peril because “trade disruptions can mean spoilage, financial losses and long-term lost market share that was earned over decades.”

From Los Angeles Times