mayfly
2 synonyms for mayfly, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A delicate winged insect that spends most of its life in water as a larva and lives for only a short time once it reaches adulthood.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
dayfly
shadfly
How to use mayfly
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a swarm of mayflies
mayflies hatching
a mayfly pattern (fishing fly)
It is a plain, everyday word used in both ordinary speech and nature writing.
Etymology
The word joins May, the month, with fly, meaning a flying insect, because the adults of many species famously emerge and swarm in that month. A similar compound exists in Saterland Frisian for a different fly, showing the same pattern of naming an insect after its season.
Full origin of mayfly →Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a mayfly?
It is named for May, since many species hatch and swarm as winged adults around that time of year.
How long does a mayfly live?
The winged adult stage lasts only briefly; the insect spends far longer as a larva living underwater.
What order of insects do mayflies belong to?
They belong to the order Ephemeroptera, a group of insects that develop in fresh water.
