perishable

/'periʃəbl/

Thân thiện

Perishable foods like milk and fruit are kept in the refrigerator.

Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Liable to decay or spoil quickly: Describes something, especially food, that can become rotten or unusable in a relatively short period if not preserved properly.
   • Subject to death or destruction; mortal or temporary: Describes things or beings that are not permanent and are destined to end or decay.

2. Noun:

   • A type of food that decays rapidly: An item, particularly food, that requires refrigeration or special handling to prevent it from spoiling.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • Milk is a highly perishable item and must be kept cold.
  • The beauty of a flower is a reminder of the perishable nature of all living things.
• Noun:
  • The truck was loaded with perishables like meat and dairy products.
  • Always put the perishables in the refrigerator first after grocery shopping.

Advanced Usage

• "Perishable goods": A common commercial and logistical term for items that have a short shelf life and require controlled conditions (like refrigeration) during transport and storage.
  • The company specializes in the rapid delivery of perishable goods.
• Conceptually, used to describe abstract things that are transient.
  • Happiness can feel like a perishable commodity in times of stress.

Variants and Related Words

• Perishability (noun): The quality or state of being perishable.
  • The perishability of fresh fruit affects its price and distribution.
• Non-perishable (adjective): Not subject to rapid decay; describing items with a long shelf life.
  • Canned beans and rice are considered non-perishable foods.

Synonyms

• Spoilable: Likely to spoil or decay.
• Decayable: Capable of undergoing decay.
• Mortal: Subject to death (for living beings, emphasizing the "perishable" nature of life).

Related Phrases

• Perishable item/product: The standard phrase for a physical good that can spoil.
  • Please check the expiration date on all perishable items.
• Perishable evidence: (In legal/forensic contexts) Evidence that can degrade or be lost over time if not collected and preserved.
  • The blood sample is perishable evidence and must be analyzed immediately.

Related Idioms

• While not a direct idiom, the concept is embedded in phrases about impermanence.
  • "All flesh is grass" is a biblical idiom conveying that human life is perishable and temporary, much like grass that withers.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. liable to perish; subject to destruction or death or decay
   • this minute and perishable planet
   • perishable foods such as butter and fruit

Noun

1. food that will decay rapidly if not refrigerated

Từ đồng nghĩa

• spoilable