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# bi

prefix (bi-); adjective, informal short form (bi)

«bi» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (prefix) Two or twice, as in bicycle (two wheels), bilingual (two languages), biannual (twice a year). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#m1)
2. (informal) Short for bisexual: attracted to more than one gender. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#m2)
3. Short for "bye" in some texting (bi or bai — slang). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#m3)

### In the lessons

In maths and science the prefix helps you guess meanings: bisect (cut into two equal parts), biped (two-footed animal), binary (base two). In everyday talk, "bi" is a short label for bisexual. Phrases: bi-weekly, bi-monthly.

### Examples

- A bicycle has two wheels. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#x1)
- Bisect the angle with your compass. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#x2)
- She is bilingual: she speaks English and Welsh. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#x3)
- Birds are bipeds because they walk on two legs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#x4)
- Binary numbers use only 0 and 1. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#x5)
- He told his friends he is bi. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/#x6)

### Note

Trap: bi-weekly and bi-monthly can mean "every two" OR "twice a" — check which. Biannual = twice a year; biennial = every two years. "Bi" alone is informal; not an insult.

## In Jewish tradition

In maths and science the prefix helps you guess meanings: bisect (cut into two equal parts), biped (two-footed animal), binary (base two). In everyday talk, "bi" is a short label for bisexual. Phrases: bi-weekly, bi-monthly.

### Examples

- ") See Nestle in Hasting's Bi/i/e Diclionnry, vol IV, p 542. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/bi/#x1)
- And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: 'Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and wail before Abner.' And king David followed the bier. (Prophets 2SA.3.31, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/bi/#x2)

### Note

Trap: bi-weekly and bi-monthly can mean "every two" OR "twice a" — check which. Biannual = twice a year; biennial = every two years. "Bi" alone is informal; not an insult.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «bi» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bi/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«bi» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/bi.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «bi» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/bi/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«bi» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/bi.html) on Mova free.