Pl. 7–9 ephemera, 9 ephemerons. [a. Gr. (ζῷον) ἐφήμερον (Aristotle H. A. I. v.), neut. of ἐφήμερος: see EPHEMERA2.]
1. An insect, which, in its winged state, lives but for a day. Cf. EPHEMERA2.
1626. Bacon, Sylva (1677), § 697. There are certain Flies that are called Ephemera that live but a day.
1710. Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), III. 30. The Ephemeron, a Fly that lives but five Hours.
1844. R. Chambers, Vest. Creat., Hypoth. Devel., 210. An ephemeron, hovering over a pool for its one April day of life.
1884. G. F. Braithwaite, Salmonidæ Westmorld., vi. 26. The most beautiful species of our ephemera, the green and grey drakes, must not be forgotten.
2. fig. A short-lived person, institution or production.
1771. Bachelor (1773), I. No. 38. 254. Unnotic’d, dull invective lyes, A mere Ephemeron it dyes, Or but provokes a jest.
1787. Beckford, Italy (1834), II. 78. All the human ephemera of Lisbon.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 371. This political ephemeron [constitution formed by the National Assembly in 1791].
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., III. 209. Every ephemeron of a tale-writer, a dramatist [etc.].
1859. Fairholt, Tobacco (1876), 61. Samuel Rowlands, a prolific writer of ephemera.
1878. Morley, Carlyle, Crit. Misc. Ser. I. 173. A cloud of sedulous ephemera still suck a little spiritual moisture.
ǁ 3. A plant described by ancient writers. Obs.
Some ancient authors distinguish two plants called ephemeron: one so named because springing up and dying in one day, the other as being a poison that causes death within a day.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, II. xlv. 204. If it be Ephemeron as it seemeth to be, then it is good for the teeth.
1616. Hayward, Sanct. Troub. Soul, II. (1620), To Rdr. ¶ 9. Many writings are like the plant Ephemeron; which springeth, flourisheth, and fadeth in one day.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 35. It [cows’ milk] … helps against the ephemeron, or cantharides [mistranslates contra cantharidas et contra ephemeri potum Plin. N. H. XXVIII. xlv].
4. attrib.
1713. Derham, Phys. Theol., IV. xi. (1714), 183, note (J.). Swammerdam observes of the Ephemeron-Worms that their Food is Clay.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Travellers into Arabia tell us of several ephemeron-trees.
a. 1791. Wesley, Serm., Wks. 1811, IX. 115. An Ephemeron Fly lives six hours.
1796. D’Israeli, Lit. Recreat., 115. Several singular coincidencies alone gave the ephemeron critic his temporary existence.
1802. Paley, Nat. Theol., xxiii. (1826), 345. An ephemeron fly [produces] a cod-bait maggot.
