Ephemera

Ephemera
May May, n. [F. Mai, L. Maius; so named in honor of the goddess Maia (Gr. Mai^a), daughter of Atlas and mother of Mercury by Jupiter.] 1. The fifth month of the year, containing thirty-one days. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

2. The early part or springtime of life. [1913 Webster]

His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. (Bot.) The flowers of the hawthorn; -- so called from their time of blossoming; also, the hawthorn. [1913 Webster]

The palm and may make country houses gay. --Nash. [1913 Webster]

Plumes that mocked the may. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

4. The merrymaking of May Day. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

{Italian may} (Bot.), a shrubby species of {Spir[ae]a} ({Spir[ae]a hypericifolia}) with many clusters of small white flowers along the slender branches.

{May apple} (Bot.), the fruit of an American plant ({Podophyllum peltatum}). Also, the plant itself (popularly called {mandrake}), which has two lobed leaves, and bears a single egg-shaped fruit at the forking. The root and leaves, used in medicine, are powerfully drastic.

{May beetle}, {May bug} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of large lamellicorn beetles that appear in the winged state in May. They belong to {Melolontha}, and allied genera. Called also {June beetle}.

{May Day}, the first day of May; -- celebrated in the rustic parts of England by the crowning of a May queen with a garland, and by dancing about a May pole.

{May dew}, the morning dew of the first day of May, to which magical properties were attributed.

{May flower} (Bot.), a plant that flowers in May; also, its blossom. See {Mayflower}, in the vocabulary.

{May fly} (Zo["o]l.), any species of {Ephemera}, and allied genera; -- so called because the mature flies of many species appear in May. See {Ephemeral fly}, under {Ephemeral}.

{May game}, any May-day sport.

{May lady}, the queen or lady of May, in old May games.

{May lily} (Bot.), the lily of the valley ({Convallaria majalis}).

{May pole}. See {Maypole} in the Vocabulary.

{May queen}, a girl or young woman crowned queen in the sports of May Day.

{May thorn}, the hawthorn. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Ephemera — is transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, baseball cards …   Wikipedia

  • Ephemera — stammt aus dem Griechischen und setzt sich aus zwei Bestandteilen zusammen, die gemeinsam ausdrücken, dass etwas nicht länger als einen Tag Bestand hat. Gemeint sind Dinge, die für einen einmaligen bzw. kurzen Gebrauch bestimmt sind. Im engeren… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ephemera — Ephemera …   Wikipédia en Français

  • ephemera — (n.) late 14c., originally a medical term, from M.L. ephemera (febris) (fever) lasting a day, from fem. of ephemerus, from Gk. ephemeros lasting only one day, short lived, from epi on (see EPI (Cf. epi )) + hemerai, dat. of hemera day, from PIE… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Ephemera — E*phem e*ra, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? a day fly, fr. ? daily, lasting but a day; ? over + ? day.] 1. (Med.) A fever of one day s continuance only. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) A genus of insects including the day flies, or ephemeral flies. See… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ephemĕra [1] — Ephemĕra, Eintagsfliege; Ephemeridae (Ephemeren, Ephemeriden), Familie aus der Ordnung der Falschnetzflügler, s. Eintagsfliegen …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Ephemĕra [2] — Ephemĕra (griech., Eintagsfieber), plötzlich, besonders bei Kindern eintretendes und in 1–3 Tagen wieder verschwindendes Fieber, das ohne jede Lokalerscheinung verläuft oder von Entzündungen verschiedener Schleimhäute, Rachenentzündungen,… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Ephemera — Ephemēra, Ephemēren (Ephemerīdae), s. Eintagsfliegen …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Ephemera [2] — Ephemēra (grch.), Eintagsfieber, plötzliches Fieber, bes. bei Kindern, nach Erkältung, auch großer körperlicher Anstrengung, teils mit Lippenflechte, schwindet unter kritischem Schweiß, Niederschlägen im Urin …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • ephemera — ► PLURAL NOUN ▪ items of short lived interest or usefulness, especially those that later acquire value to collectors. ORIGIN Greek, things lasting only a day …   English terms dictionary

  • ephemera — [e fem′ər ə, ifem′ər ə] n. pl. ephemeras or ephemerae [e fem′ərē΄, i fem′ərē΄] [ModL < Gr ephēmeron: see EPHEMERON] 1. MAYFLY 2. a) an ephemeral thing b) [with pl. v.] ephemeral things collectivel …   English World dictionary

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