biennial

[ bahy-en-ee-uh l ]

/ baɪˈɛn i əl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR biennial ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Words nearby biennial

bielsko-biała, bien entendu, bien hoa, bien-pensant, bienne, biennial, biennium, bienvenu, bienvenue, bienville, bier

Origin of biennial

First recorded in 1615–25; bienni(um) + -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM biennial

bi·en·ni·al·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH biennial

biannual biennial semiannual (see usage note at bi-¹)

usage note for biennial

See bi-¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for biennial

Those are results of the biennial Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey of public opinion on foreign policy (PDF).
Who Else Opposes An Iran Attack?|Ali Gharib|September 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
At the Biennial, only a very few artworks escape to stand on their own.
Whitney Museum’s Biennial: A Big Yawn|Blake Gopnik|March 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She had similar fears when 2010 Biennial curators Bonami and Gary Carrion-Murayari came calling last year.
The Biennial's Breakout Star|Rachel Wolff|February 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Famous in history by the biennial meetings of the Blackmailers' Club.
The Roycroft Dictionary|Elbert Hubbard

Endive, en′div, n. an annual or biennial plant of the same genus as chicory, used as a salad.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)|Various
In 1877 the constitution was amended by providing for biennial, instead of annual, sessions of the legislature.
The History of Minnesota and Tales of the Frontier|Charles E. Flandrau
In its natural state, this is a perennial plant; but, when cultivated, it is generally treated as an annual or as a biennial.
The Field and Garden Vegetables of America|Fearing Burr
In South Carolina they are biennial—as is proposed in the federal government.
The Federalist Papers|Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

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, adverb

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

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.

biennial

adjective Also biyearly (for defs 1, 2).

noun

Words related to biennial

Words nearby biennial

Origin of biennial

OTHER WORDS FROM biennial

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH biennial

usage note for biennial

Examples from the Web for biennial

British Dictionary definitions for biennial

adjective

noun

Derived forms of biennial

Scientific definitions for biennial

Adjective

Noun