bi
[ bahy ]
/ baɪ /
adjective, noun, plural bis, bi's.
Slang. bisexual.
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Question 1 of 10
decorum
Origin of bi
by shortening
Words nearby bi
bhut, bhutan, bhutanese, bhutatathata, bhutto, bi, bi sex, bi-, bi-bi reaction, bi-bivalent, bi-curious
Definition for bi (2 of 5)
Definition for bi (3 of 5)
Definition for bi (4 of 5)
bi-1
a combining form meaning “twice,” “two,” used in the formation of compound words: bifacial; bifarious.
Compare bin-.
Origin of bi-
1< Latin, combining form of bis; see twice
usage note for bi-
All words except biennial referring to periods of time and prefixed by bi-1 are potentially ambiguous. Since bi- can be taken to mean either “twice each” or “every two,” a word like biweekly can be understood as “twice each week” or “every two weeks.” To avoid confusion, it is better to use the prefix semi- to mean “twice each” ( semiannual; semimonthly; semiweekly ) or the phrase twice a or twice each ( twice a month; twice a week; twice each year ), and for the other sense to use the phrase every two ( every two months; every two weeks; every two years ).
Definition for bi (5 of 5)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for bi
British Dictionary definitions for bi (1 of 5)
British Dictionary definitions for bi (2 of 5)
bi2
the internet domain name for
Burundi
British Dictionary definitions for bi (3 of 5)
Bi
the chemical symbol for
bismuth
British Dictionary definitions for bi (4 of 5)
bi-1
sometimes before a vowel bin-
combining form
two; having twobifocal
occurring every two; lasting for twobiennial
on both sides, surfaces, directions, etcbilateral
occurring twice duringbiweekly
- denoting an organic compound containing two identical cyclic hydrocarbon systemsbiphenyl
- (rare in technical usage) indicating an acid salt of a dibasic acidsodium bicarbonate
- (not in technical usage) equivalent of di- 1 (def. 2a)
Word Origin for bi-
from Latin, from bis twice
British Dictionary definitions for bi (5 of 5)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for bi
Bi
The symbol for the elementbismuth
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for bi (1 of 2)
Bi
The symbol for bismuth.
Scientific definitions for bi (2 of 2)
bismuth
[ bĭz′məth ]
Bi
A brittle, pinkish-white, crystalline metallic element that occurs in nature as a free metal and in various ores. Bismuth is the most strongly diamagnetic element and has the highest atomic number of all stable elements. It is used to make low-melting alloys for fire-safety devices. Atomic number 83; atomic weight 208.98; melting point 271.3°C; boiling point 1,560°C; specific gravity 9.747; valence 3, 5. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.