different between earthly vs ephemeral

English

Etymology

From Middle English erthely, erthlich, ierðlich, from Old English eorþl??, corresponding to earth +? -ly. Cognate with Old Norse jarðligr (“earthly”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????li/

Adjective

earthly (comparative earthlier, superlative earthliest)

1. Relating to the earth or this world, as opposed to heaven; terrestrial.

   earthly joys
2. (negative, informal) Used for emphasis
3. (obsolete) Made of earth; earthy.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Holland to this entry?)

Translations

See also

• worldly

Noun

earthly (plural earthlies)

1. (collective or in the plural) That which is of the earth or earthly; a terrestrial being.
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:earthly.
2. (Britain, colloquial) A slightest chance (of success etc.) or idea (about something).
   • 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York 2007, p. 315:

     ‘Then I didn't have a chance when I stood you a drink?’ I said. ‘Not an earthly!’ she said and laughed; but when I left she kissed me good-night.

Adverb

earthly (comparative more earthly, superlative most earthly)

1. in an earthly manner

Further reading

• earthly in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• earthly in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• earthly at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

Anagrams

• Hartley, hartely, hartley, heartly, hetaryl, lathery

English

Etymology

From New Latin ephemerus, from Ancient Greek ???????? (eph?meros), the more common form of ????????? (eph?mérios, “of, for, or during the day, living or lasting but for a day, short-lived, temporary”), from ??? (epí, “on”) + ????? (h?méra, “day”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??f?.m?.??l/, /??f?.m?.??l/
• Rhymes: -???l

Noun

ephemeral (plural ephemerals)

1. Something which lasts for a short period of time.

   Synonym: ephemeron

Derived terms

• spring ephemeral

Adjective

ephemeral (comparative more ephemeral, superlative most ephemeral)

1. Lasting for a short period of time.

   Synonyms: temporary, transitory, fleeting, evanescent, momentary, short-lived, short, volatile; see also Thesaurus:ephemeral

   Antonyms: permanent, eternal, everlasting, timeless

   • 1821-1822, Vicesimus Knox, Remarks on the tendency of certain Clauses in a Bill now pending in Parliament to degrade Grammar Schools

     Esteem, lasting esteem, the esteem of good men, like himself, will be his reward, when the gale of ephemeral popularity shall have gradually subsided.

   • 1853, James Stephen, Lecture on the right use of Books

     sentences not of ephemeral, but of eternal, efficacy
2. (biology) Existing for only one day, as with some flowers, insects, and diseases.
3. (geology, of a body of water) Usually dry, but filling with water for brief periods during and after precipitation.
   • 1986, W.H. Raymond, "Clinoptilolite Deposit in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, U.S.A.", in Y?ichi Murakami et al. (editors), New Developments in Zeolite Science and Technology (conference proceedings), Elsevier, ?ISBN, page 80:

     The graben constitutes a depositional basin and a topographic low, underlain by Cretaceous shales, in which volcanic debris accumulated in ephemeral lakes and streams in Oligocene and early Miocene time.

Derived terms

• ephemerally

Related terms

• ephemera
• ephemeron
• ephemerality
• hemeral

Translations

Further reading

• ephemeral in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ephemeral in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• ephemeral on Wikipedia.Wikipedia