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A genus of insects including the day flies, or ephemeral flies. See Ephemeral fly, under Ephemeral.

Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; diurnal; as, an ephemeral flower.

One of the ephemeral flies.

A genus consisting mostly of tropical perennial herbs (Commelina), having ephemeral flowers.

A neuropterous insect of the genus Ephemera and related genera, of many species, and inhabiting fresh water in the larval state; the ephemeral fly; -- so called because it commonly lives but one day in the winged or adult state. See Ephemeral fly, under Ephemeral.

imonious or invective harangue; a strain of abusive or railing language; a philippic. The ephemeral diatribe of a faction. John Morley.

Ephemeral.

One of the ephemeral flies.

Ephemeral. [R.] Burke.

over. It becomes ep- before a vowel, as in epoch, and eph- before a Greek aspirate, as in ephemeral.

Occurring once an hour; continuing an hour; hourly; ephemeral. Horary, or soon decaying, fruits of summer. Sir T. Browne. Horary circles. See Circles.

Like an insect; small; mean; ephemeral.

also, its blossom. See Mayflower, in the vocabulary. -- May fly (Zoöl.), 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. -- M…

An American endogenous plant (Tradescantia Virginica), with long linear leaves and ephemeral blue flowers. The name is sometimes extended to other species of the same genus.