Both Uses of
perish
in
The Mill on the Floss
- Beware thou cleavest not unto them, lest thou be entangled and perish....If a man should give all his substance, yet it is as nothing.†
Chpt 4.3 *perish = die, be destroyed, or cease to exist
- there were floating masses in it, that might dash against her boat as she passed, and cause her to perish too soon.†
Chpt 7.5
Definition:
to die -- especially in an unnatural way
or:
to be destroyed or cease to exist
or:
to be destroyed or cease to exist
You may encounter an informal expression, "Perish the thought." It means that the speaker hopes the thought will cease to exist and the thing it represents will never happen.