mayflies

noun

slender insect with delicate membranous wings having an aquatic larval stage and terrestrial adult stage usually lasting less than two days

Roots

maiusmay- · Latin · the month May (when they emerge)fleogefl- · Old English · flying insect as-ies · Old English · plural ending

Synonyms & related words for mayflies

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of mayflies. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to mayflies

Explore words related to mayflies — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include shadfly, dayfly, ephemerid, stoneflies, caddis, caddice, midges, caddisfly. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does mayflies come from?

The word mayflies breaks down into 3 roots of Latin and Old English origin: may, from Latin maius (“the month May (when they emerge)”); fl, from Old English fleoge (“flying insect”); and -ies, from Old English as (“plural ending”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.