ephemera

American  

[ih-fem-er-uh] / ɪˈfɛm ər ə /

noun

PLURAL

ephemeras, ephemerae

1. a plural of ephemeron.

2. an ephemerid.

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ephemera British  

/ ɪˈfɛmərə /

noun

1. a mayfly, esp one of the genus Ephemera

2. something transitory or short-lived

3. (functioning as plural) a class of collectable items not originally intended to last for more than a short time, such as tickets, posters, postcards, or labels

4. a plural of ephemeron

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Etymology

Origin of ephemera

1670–80; < Greek ephḗmera, neuter plural of ephḗmeros, taken as singular; ephemeral

Example Sentences

Containing more than 250 images, each accompanied by a deft, deep caption, this selection of artworks, ephemera, photographs, fashion, jewels and objects is engaging, surprising and sometimes scary.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ours is an era when every shred of ephemera is for sale, so why wouldn’t a mourning son attempt to liquidate a killer’s personal effects to claim compensation for his mother’s death?

From Salon

This behavior also reduces serious political and societal matters to digital memes, jokes and ephemera, compromising reality testing and making truth itself unknowable.

From Salon

“That’s just how his brain worked,” she says of his keen eye that transformed everyday ephemera into a valuable historical archive.

From Los Angeles Times

The upcoming exhibition at the Broad will feature 120 pieces of work, including sculpture, photography, painting, drawing and other ephemera, occupying the entire 10,000-square-foot ground floor.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• collectibles