mayfly

American  

[mey-flahy] / ˈmeɪˌflaɪ /

noun

• mayflies
  plural

1. Also called shadfly.  any insect of the order Ephemeroptera, having delicate, membranous wings with the front pair much larger than the rear and having an aquatic larval stage and a terrestrial adult stage usually lasting less than two days.

2. Angling. Also May fly an artificial fly made to resemble this insect.

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mayfly British  

/ ˈmeɪˌflaɪ /

noun

1. Also called: dayfly.  any insect of the order Ephemeroptera (or Ephemerida ). The short-lived adults, found near water, have long tail appendages and large transparent wings; the larvae are aquatic

2. angling an artificial fly resembling this

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mayflies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mayfly

First recorded in 1645–55; May + fly ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mayfly mayflies

Dead ahead: maybe 75 dancers, mostly in their late teens and early 20s, others in their 30s and 40s, sweating it out in this mayfly, once-every-five-weeks discothèque.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 27, 2023

He believes there is a direct correlation between sewage discharges and lower numbers of brown trout, grayling and invertebrates - animals without a backbone, including worms, snails and insects such as mayfly.

From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2021

The larvae of dozens of mayfly species populate healthy streams all year long and provide food for many animals, including fish.

From Scientific American ● Dec. 6, 2018

For the past few years Kaster and student volunteers have been collecting mayfly eggs and placing them in the bay.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 17, 2015

I am going to make my mayfly life count for something.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

The plump mayflies known as green drakes were emerging on the water.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

Horsehair worms are born in water and use aquatic insects like mayflies to hitchhike to dry land, where they sit tight until they are eaten by terrestrial insects such as crickets or mantises.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2023

The American Southeast has the greatest aquatic biodiversity of anywhere in the temperate world, with an amazing array of fish, mussels, aquatic snails, crawdads and aquatic insects, like mayflies and dragonflies.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2022

When the sun hit the water and green drake mayflies began dancing on the surface, a fish lower in the pool began feeding on top.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 13, 2022

There would be no large stoneflies, no mayflies, no caddis flies.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson