e·phem·er·al

[ih-fem-er-uhl]
adjective
1.
lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory: the ephemeral joys of childhood.
2.
lasting but one day: an ephemeral flower.
noun
3.
anything short-lived, as certain insects.

Origin:
1570–80; < Greek ephḗmer(os) short-lived, lasting but a day (ep- ep- + hēmér(a) day + -os adj. suffix) + -al1

e·phem·er·al·ly, adverb
e·phem·er·al·ness, noun
non·e·phem·er·al, adjective
non·e·phem·er·al·ly, adverb
un·e·phem·er·al, adjective
un·e·phem·er·al·ly, adverb


1. fleeting, evanescent, transient, momentary, brief.


1. permanent.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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of or pertaining to sailors, ships, or navigation
to limit to a certain amount, number, share, or allowance, often inappropriately
Collins
World English Dictionary
ephemeral (ɪˈfɛmərəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  lasting for only a short time; transitory; short-lived: ephemeral pleasure
 
n
2.  a short-lived organism, such as the mayfly
3.  a plant that completes its life cycle in less than one year, usually less than six months
 
[C16: from Greek ephēmeros lasting only a day, from hēmera day]
 
e'phemerally
 
adv
 
ephemer'ality
 
n
 
e'phemeralness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ephemeral
1630s, from Gk. ephemeros (see ephemera). Related: Ephemerality.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Capturing those ephemeral images has been a challenge to generations of artists.
Markets are unstable because our emotions are ephemeral or at best unstable.
Adhering to a diet often proves a tough task with only ephemeral results.
Ephemeral gullies are common features on agricultural landscapes.
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