24-Hour Lifecycle | National Geographic

The ephemeral lifecycle of the Mayfly is sometimes a good time to go fishing.

Word of the Day : May 6, 2019

ephemeral

adjective ih-FEM-uh-rul

Definition :

1 : lasting a very short time.

2 : lasting one day only.

Did You Know ?


The mayfly (order Ephemeroptera) typically hatches, matures, mates, and dies within the span of a few short hours (though the longest-lived may survive a record two days); poets sometimes use this insect to symbolize 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."

Examples :

The young YouTube star's fame was ephemeral but surprisingly lucrative while it lasted.

"After winter, the garden comes to life with the planting of spring-blooming ephemeral bulbs such as naturalizing daffodils, crocus, tulips, snowdrops and hyacinths that appear before the tree canopy 'leafs out' and perennials burst forth…." — The Parry Sound (Ontario) North Star, 6 Mar. 2019.