-ˈfē-
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The Mayfly Helps to Illustrate Ephemeral
In its aquatic immature stages, the mayfly (order Ephemeroptera) has all the time in the world—or not quite: among the approximately 2,500 species of mayflies, some have as much as two years, but a year is more common. But in its adult phase, the typical mayfly hatches, takes wing for the first time, mates, and dies within the span of a few short hours. This briefest of heydays makes the insect a potent symbol of life's ephemeral nature. When ephemeral (from the Greek word ephēmeros, meaning "lasting a day") first appeared in print in English in the late 16th century, it was a scientific term applied to short-term fevers, and later, to organisms (such as insects and flowers) with very short life spans. Soon after that, it acquired an extended sense referring to anything fleeting and short-lived, as in "ephemeral pleasures."
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Examples of ephemeral in a Sentence
Joyce Carol Oates, Times Literary Supplement, 5 Jan. 1996
As a consequence North Africa was easily reconquered by the Byzantine emperor in the 530s, and the Vandals' influence on North African development was ephemeral and negligible.
—Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993
This accounts for the peculiar sense most observers have that the ephemeral, sensationalist, polymorphous, magpie popular culture of the United States is at bottom remarkably conservative …
—Louis Menand, Harper's, March 1993
the autumnal blaze of colors is always to be treasured, all the more so because it is so ephemeral
David Polansky, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 July 2024
Due to the ephemeral nature of the digital world, the images do not have the strongest impact when compared to high-quality print paper.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, eyes were stretched and blended into an ephemeral wing.
—Essence, 24 Sep. 2024
Blending guitars and brass instruments, the Mexican pair sing about ephemeral success and handling haters.
—Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 9 Aug. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ephemeral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ephemeral. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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ephemeral
adjective
-ˈfēm-
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