ephemera

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Things that last or are useful for only a short time, especially printed items like tickets or posters.

   The museum's collection includes wartime ephemera such as ration cards and posters.

2. 2
   noun

   Things that are transitory and quickly forgotten.

   He dismissed celebrity gossip as the ephemera of modern life.

Simplified etymology

Ephemera comes from Greek ephēmeros, “lasting only a day,” based on hēmera, “day.” The term was first applied to a one-day fever and to short-lived insects or plants, then to people or things of fleeting interest. Its current plural use for collectible items originally considered to have no enduring value, such as tickets and posters, dates from the 1930s.

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐφήμερᾰ (ephḗmeră), neuter plural form of ἐφήμερος (ephḗmeros).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary