ephemera
noun/ɪˈfemərə/
/ɪˈfemərə/
[plural]- things that are important or used for only a short period of time
- a collection of postcards, tickets and other ephemera
Word Originlate 16th cent.: plural of ephemeron, from Greek, neuter of ephēmeros ‘lasting only a day’. As a singular noun the word originally denoted a plant said by ancient writers to last only one day, or an insect with a short lifespan, and hence was applied (late 18th cent.) to a person or thing of short-lived interest. Current use has been influenced by plurals such as trivia and memorabilia.Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
ephemera