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biennial Definition

bi·en·nial (bī enē əl)

adjective

  1. happening every two years
  2. lasting or living two years

Etymology: < L biennium, period of two years < bi-, bi- + annus, year + -al

noun

  1. a biennial event or occurrence
  2. Bot. a plant that lasts two years, usually producing flowers and seed the second year

biennial Related Forms

bi·en·ni·ally adverb

biennial Usage Examples

Converse of object

sow: Sowing biennials In mild areas, toward the end of the month, you can start to sow biennials for flowering next spring.

Adjective modifier

  • hardy: Hardy biennials can be sown this month, into a nursery bed or pots stored in a greenhouse or cold frame.
  • second: Remove annuals and second year biennials that have finished flowering.
  • tall: Teasels are tall biennials, forming a rosette of leaves in their first year, and flowering in their second year.
  • fourth: COIL magazine - 1999 The Raw and the Cooked - The fourth ICA Biennial.

Modifies a noun

  • congress: Bunyan represented the London Labor Party Sports Association at the fifth biennial congress of the Lucerne Sports International held in Prague during October 1929.
  • conference: The 2005 biennial conference was held at the Royal Society in May 2005.
  • symposium: Seven biennial international symposia, three major publications and 12 research projects into glaciers, soils, ecosystems and rare animals have been sponsored.
  • weed: The life cycle of a biennial weed requires two years to complete.
  • herb: It is a large biennial herb with glossy green leaves with white flowers from midsummer.
  • festival: For the next few years there will no longer be a biennial festival.

Modifying Another Word

  • usually: The Easter Ski Trip, which is usually biennial, is primarily for Year 7 and 8 students.
  • sometimes: Spreading growth, hardy, and sometimes biennial bearing.

Used with adjective complement

  • go: Co-locating with MACH and going biennial is clearly the future for the drives industry.
  • become: In its revised format the Awards became biennial taking place every two years.