bifera
|bi-fe-ra|
🇺🇸
/baɪˈfɪərə/
🇬🇧
/bɪˈfɪərə/
two-bearing
Etymology
'bifera' originates from Latin, specifically the compound of the prefix 'bi-' and the root of 'ferre' (seen as 'fer-'), where 'bi-' meant 'two' and 'ferre' meant 'to bear'.
'bifera' appeared in Classical and Medieval Latin as a feminine adjective meaning 'bearing two' and was retained into New Latin (scientific Latin) as a fixed specific epithet; it entered modern scientific usage unchanged as 'bifera'.
Initially, it meant 'bearing two' in Latin; in modern scientific usage it preserves that basic meaning as an epithet indicating the presence of two of a particular feature, so the semantic change is minimal.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
used in English contexts as a noun referring to an organism whose specific epithet is 'bifera' (i.e., 'a species named bifera').
Several bifera have been recorded in different genera.
Adjective 1
in botanical and zoological Latin: the feminine singular adjective meaning 'bearing two' or 'having two of a particular structure'; commonly used as a specific epithet in scientific names.
In the name Acacia bifera, bifera indicates that the plant bears two glands.
Last updated: 2025/09/10 15:40