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mayfly definition

may·fly (-flī′)

noun pl. mayflies -·flies′

any of an order (Ephemeroptera) of delicate, soft-bodied insects with gauzy wings held vertically when at rest: in the adult stage, it lives only hours or a few days, but the aquatic larval stage may last for several years

Etymology: so named because thought to be most prevalent in May

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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