Bi*en"ni*al*ly, adv. Once in two years.
Bier (&?;), n. [OE. bæe, beere, AS. b&?;r, b&?;re; akin to D. baar, OHG. bra, G. bahre, Icel barar, D&?; baare, L. feretrum, Gr. &?;, from the same &?;&?; bear to produce. See 1st Bear, and cf. Barrow.] 1. A handbarrow or portable frame on which a corpse is placed or borne to the grave.
2. (Weaving) A count of forty threads in the warp or chain of woolen cloth. Knight.
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Bier"balk` (br"bk`), n. [See Bier, and Balk, n.] A church road (e. g., a path across fields) for funerals. [Obs.] Homilies.
{ Biest"ings, Beest"ings } (&?;), n. pl. [OE. bestynge, AS. bsting, fr. bst, beost; akin to D. biest, OHG. biost, G. biest; of unknown origin.] The first milk given by a cow after calving. B. Jonson.
The thick and curdy milk . . . commonly called biestings.
Newton. (1574).
Bi*fa"cial (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + facial.] Having the opposite surfaces alike.
Bi*fa"ri*ous (&?;), a. [L. bifarius; bis twice + fari to speak. Cf. Gr. &?; twofold; &?; twice + &?; to say.] 1. Twofold; arranged in two rows.
2. (Bot.) Pointing two ways, as leaves that grow only on opposite sides of a branch; in two vertical rows.
Bi*fa"ri*ous*ly, adv. In a bifarious manner.
Bif"er*ous (&?;), a. [L. bifer; bis twice + ferre to bear.] Bearing fruit twice a year.
Bif"fin (&?;), n. [Cf. Beaufin.] 1. A sort of apple peculiar to Norfolk, Eng. [Sometimes called beaufin; but properly beefin (it is said), from its resemblance to raw beef.] Wright.