biennial
[ bahy-en-ee-uh l ]
/ 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.
Nearby words
bielsko-biała, bien entendu, bien hoa, bien-pensant, bienne, biennial, biennium, bienvenu, bienvenue, bienville, bier
Origin of biennial
Related forms
bi·en·ni·al·ly, adverbCan be confused
biannual biennial semiannual (see usage note at bi-1)Usage note
See bi-1.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples 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
biennially, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Science 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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