Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. See mayfly.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A May-fly: a popular name of the neuropterous insects of the family Ephemeridæ: so called because, however long they may live in the larval state, in their perfect form they exist only from a few hours to a few days, taking no food, but only propagating and then dying. See Ephemeridæ.
Wiktionary
- n. A mayfly.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Zoöl.) 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.
WordNet 3.0
- n. slender insect with delicate membranous wings having an aquatic larval stage and terrestrial adult stage usually lasting less than two days
Etymologies
- day + fly, since the adults typically live only for a day. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Bloodless and many footed animals, whether furnished with wings or feet, move with more than four points of motion; as, for instance, the dayfly moves with four feet and four wings: and, I may observe in passing, this creature is exceptional not only in regard to the duration of its existence, whence it receives its name, but also because though a quadruped it has wings also.”
“The 22-year-old manual worker has been living like a "dayfly," as he calls it, barely making a living enough for a day.”
“Dazzled, the dayfly flutters round your wick, crackles, flares and cries: I bless this torch!”
“Bloodless and many footed animals, whether furnished with wings or feet, move with more than four points of motion; as, for instance, the dayfly (ephémeron) moves with four feet and four wings: and, I may observe in passing, this creature is exceptional not only in regard to the duration of its existence, whence it receives its name, but also because though a quadruped it has wings also.”
“Be still, ere I smite you like the dayfly you are! ”
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