[bahy-yeer-lee] 
| 1. | biennial (defs. 1, 2). |
| 2. | biennially; biannually. |
| 3. | twice yearly. |
[bahy-en-ee-uh
l] | 1. | happening every two years: biennial games. |
| 2. | lasting or enduring for two years: a biennial life cycle. |
| 3. | Botany. completing its normal term of life in two years, flowering and fruiting the second year, as beets or winter wheat. |
| 4. | any event occurring once in two years. |
| 5. | Botany. a biennial plant. |
| biennial (bī-ěn'ē-əl) Pronunciation Key
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. |