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Glite Dictionary
ephemerid

ephemerid

9.9
An insect like a mayfly that lives and dies within a day
  • noun
  • /ɪˈfɛmərɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : efímera
  • During summer evenings, swarms of ephemerids can often be seen fluttering around the lights.

Examples

  • She would descend with the suddenness of the insects called ephemerids upon Princess Sherbatoff; were the latter within reach, the Mistress would cling to her shoulder, dig her nails into it, and hide her face against it for a few moments like a child playing hide and seek.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The riverbank was full of tiny ephemerids dancing on the surface of the water.

  • Many fish feed on ephemerids, making them an important part of the aquatic food chain.

Synonyms

ephemeropteran
vsephemerid
  • Specialized
9.9

An insect like a mayfly that lives only a few hours as an adult

is the alternative common term instead of the scientific label
ephemeral
vsephemerid
  • Specialized
8.6

A plant or insect that lives for only a very short time

is narrower, referring only to insects of one scientific order
ephemeron
vsephemerid
9.9

A living thing or object that lasts only a very short time like a mayfly

is limited to insects of a particular scientific order rather than any short-lived thing

Antonyms

perennial
20 5.1

Living for several years and flowering each year

long-lived
6 3.9

That lasts for a long time

Surface Forms

ephemerid singular
ephemerids plural

Morphology

ephemerid = ephemeral (semi-transparent) = ephemer + id

The connection to 'ephemeral' (short-lived) is clear, but the suffix '-id' functions as a taxonomic/member marker and the specific identification as a mayfly is specialized vocabulary not predictable for most learners.

Etymology

Ephemerid comes from the same root as ephemeral, which means 'lasting a short time'. The root comes from hemera meaning 'day', so an ephemerid is an insect that often lives only one day.