ephemera

/əˈfɛmərə/

Other forms: ephemerae; ephemeras

Ephemera don't stick around for very long. You might enjoy such ephemera as sunsets and rainbows, things appearing only briefly, and so enjoyed all the more.

In Latin, ephemera was a word for a fever that didn't last long. Today, ephemera is the plural form of ephemeron, which means "something impermanent or lasting only a short time." French historian Fernand Braudel referred to events as “the ephemera of history,” likening them to fireflies that light the dark for just a moment.

Definitions of ephemera

1. noun

   something transitory; lasting a day
   type of:

   time

   an indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities)