שָׁחַת (b. h.) to be low, bent.
Pi. - שִׁחֵת (cmp. חָבַל) to pervert, ruin, do harm. Ex. R. s. 8 ש׳ לנפשו he did harm to himself; a. e.—Ab. d. R. N. ch. I, end וירדו … לשַׁחֲתוֹ ed. Schechter (ed. לשרתו, corr. acc.) and the ministering angels came down to destroy him (Adam). Kidd. 24ᵇ (ref. to Ex. XXI, 26) עד שיתכוין לשַׁחְתָהּ when he intended to destroy it. Naz. 4ᵇ לשַׁחֵת, v. שֵׂעָר; a. e.
Hif. - הִשְׁחִית 1) same. same. Ex. R. l. c. ה׳ לנפשו, v. supra. Tanḥ. Tol’d. 6 לילך … להַשְׁחִיתוֹ to go to Nabal to ruin him; a. fr.—Esp. בַּל תַּשְׁחִית (v. בַּל) the law forbidding to ruin anything wantonly (derived from Deut. XX, 19). Sabb. 129ᵃ והא קעבר מר משום בל ת׳ in doing so, do you not disregard the law which forbids wilful destruction? בל ת׳ דגופאי עדיף לי not to do injury to myself is a higher duty to me; ib. 140ᵇ; a. fr. —2) to commit a nuisance. Y. Succ. V, 55ᶜ (play on משתחויתם, Ez. VIII, 16) [read:] שהיו משתחוים לחמה ומַשְׁחִיתִים להיכל they prostrated themselves in worship of the sun, and committed nuisance towards the Temple (v. Bab. Succ. 53ᵇ; Yoma 77ᵃ).