Ephemeral

Ephemeral
Ephemeral E*phem"er*al, a. 1. Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; diurnal; as, an ephemeral flower. [1913 Webster]

2. Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only. ``Ephemeral popularity.'' --V. Knox. [1913 Webster]

Sentences not of ephemeral, but of eternal, efficacy. --Sir J. Stephen. [1913 Webster]

{Ephemeral fly} (Zo["o]l.), one of a group of neuropterous insects, belonging to the genus {Ephemera} and many allied genera, which live in the adult or winged state only for a short time. The larv[ae] are aquatic; -- called also {day fly} and {May fly}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Ephemeral — things (from Greek εφήμερος ephemeros , literally lasting only one day [ [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2345743 Ephemeros] , Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek English Lexicon ,… …   Wikipedia

  • ephemeral — [e fem′ər əl; ifem′ər əl, ēfem′ər əl] adj. [< Gr ephēmeros (see EPHEMERON) + AL] 1. lasting only one day 2. short lived; transitory [ephemeral glory] n. an ephemeral thing; specif., an organism with a brief life cycle SYN. TRANSIENT… …   English World dictionary

  • Ephemeral — E*phem er*al, n. Anything lasting but a day, or a brief time; an ephemeral plant, insect, etc. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ephemeral — I adjective brevis, brief, caducous, caducus, continuing for a short time, deciduous, disappearing, elusive, enduring only a very short time, ephemerous, evanescent, existing for a short time, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, hurried, impermanent,… …   Law dictionary

  • ephemeral — 1560s; see EPHEMERA (Cf. ephemera) + AL (Cf. al) (1). Related: Ephemerality. Originally of diseases and lifespans; extended sense of transitory is from 1630s …   Etymology dictionary

  • ephemeral — transient, transitory, passing, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent, momentary, short lived Analogous words: *brief, short …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • ephemeral — [adj] momentary, passing brief, episodic, evanescent, fleeting, flitting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, short, short lived, temporary, transient, transitory, unenduring, volatile; concepts 798,801 Ant. enduring, eternal, everlasting,… …   New thesaurus

  • ephemeral — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ lasting or living for a very short time. DERIVATIVES ephemerality noun ephemerally adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • ephemeral — I. adjective Etymology: Greek ephēmeros lasting a day, daily, from epi + hēmera day Date: 1576 1. lasting one day only < an ephemeral fever > 2. lasting a very short time < ephemeral pleasures > Synonyms: see transient • ephemerally …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ephemeral — [[t]ɪfe̱mərəl[/t]] ADJ GRADED If you describe something as ephemeral, you mean that it lasts only for a very short time. [FORMAL] He talked about the country s ephemeral unity being shattered by the defeat... These paintings are in some ways a… …   English dictionary

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