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.
Origin of biennial
First recorded in 1615–25;
bienni(um) +
-al1
usage note for biennial
See
bi-1.
OTHER WORDS FROM biennial
bi·en·ni·al·ly, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH biennial
biannual biennial semiannual (see usage note at bi-1)Words nearby biennial
bielsko-biała,
bien entendu,
bien hoa,
bien-pensant,
bienne,
biennial,
biennium,
bienvenu,
bienvenue,
bienville,
bier
Example sentences from the Web for biennial
British Dictionary definitions for biennial
biennial
/ (baɪˈɛnɪəl) /
adjective
occurring every two years
lasting two years
Compare 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 year
Compare annual (def. 3), perennial (def. 3)
an event that takes place every two years
Derived forms of biennial
biennially, adverbScientific 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.