ephemeral
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2 ENTRIES FOUND:

1ephem·er·al

adjective \i-ˈfem-rəl, -ˈfēm-; -ˈfe-mə-, -ˈfē-\

Definition of EPHEMERAL

1
: lasting one day only <an ephemeral fever>
2
: lasting a very short time <ephemeral pleasures>
ephem·er·al·ly \-rə-lē\ adverb

Examples of EPHEMERAL

  1. <the autumnal blaze of colors is always to be treasured, all the more so because it is so ephemeral>
  2. … several rather inflated pages of material about an ephemeral love affair Fitzgerald allegedly had with an English woman named Bijou … —Joyce Carol Oates, Times Literary Supplement, 5 Jan. 1996

Origin of EPHEMERAL

Greek ephēmeros lasting a day, daily, from epi- + hēmera day
First Known Use: 1576

2ephem·er·al

noun \i-ˈfem-rəl, -ˈfēm-; -ˈfe-mə-, -ˈfē-\

Definition of EPHEMERAL

: something that lasts for a very short time : something ephemeral; specifically : a plant that grows, flowers, and dies in a few days

Origin of EPHEMERAL

(see 1ephemeral)
First Known Use: 1807

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

ephem·er·al

adjective \i-ˈfem(-ə)-rəl, -ˈfēm-\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of EPHEMERAL

: lasting a very short time

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