biennial
[ bahy-en-ee-uhl ]
/ baɪˈɛn i əl /
adjective Also biyearly (for defs. 1, 2).
happening every two years: biennial games.
lasting or enduring for two years: a biennial life cycle.
Botany. completing its normal term of life in two years, flowering and fruiting the second year, as beets or winter wheat.
noun
any event occurring once in two years.
Botany. a biennial plant.
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Origin of biennial
First recorded in 1615–25; bienni(um) + -al1
words often confused with biennial
See bi-1.
OTHER WORDS FROM biennial
bi·en·ni·al·ly, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH biennial
biannual, biennial , semiannual, semiyearly (see confusables note at bi-1)Words nearby biennial
Bielschowsky's disease, Bielsko-Biała, bien entendu, Bien Hoa, Bienne, biennial, biennium, bien pensant, bienvenu, bienvenue, Bienville
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for biennial
British Dictionary definitions for biennial
biennial
/ (baɪˈɛnɪəl) /
adjective
occurring every two years
lasting two yearsCompare biannual
noun
a plant, such as the carrot, that completes its life cycle within two years, developing vegetative storage parts during the first year and flowering and fruiting in its second yearCompare annual (def. 3), perennial (def. 3)
an event that takes place every two years
Derived forms of biennial
biennially, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for biennial
biennial
[ bī-ĕn′ē-əl ]
Adjective
Completing a life cycle normally in two growing seasons.
Noun
A biennial plant. In the first year, biennials normally produce a short stem, a rosette of leaves, and a fleshy root that acts as food supply. In the second season, biennials blossom, produce seed, use up their food supply, and die. Carrots, parsnips, and sugar beets are examples of biennials. Compare annual perennial.
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