bi-, bin-, bino-, bis-

Etymology: from about 1387, "one of the halves of a folding door", from Latin valva, "section of a folding or revolving door"; literally, "that which turns"; related to volvere "to roll". Sense extended in about 1659 to "a mechanical device that works like a valve"; and in 1661 in zoology to "halves of a hinged shell".

An oyster is a bivalve because it has a two-valved shell.

1. The act of combining or the state of being combined.
2. The result of combining.
3. An alliance of people or parties for a common purpose; an association.
4. A sequence of numbers or letters used to open a combination lock.
5. In mathematics, one or more elements selected from a set without regard to the order of selection.

1. Relating to or involving combinations.
2. Marked by or relating to or resulting from combination.
3. Able to or tending to combine.

1. To be joined or mixed together, or to join or to mix people or things together.
2. To undertake two or more activities at the same time: "Her mother has successfully combined a career as an medical doctor and as a hospital executive."
3. To join together, or to make substances join together, to form a chemical compound.
4. Etymology: from about 1440, from Medieval French combiner, from Late Latin combinare, "to unite, to yoke together"; from Latin com-, "together" + bini, "two by two", from bi-, "twice".

1. An informal, or U.S. slang shortening, term for a combination of several people or components.
2. The product or result of combining something; a combination.
3. Australian slang for a white man living with Aborigines or having an Aborigine wife; usually, in a common-law marriage.