Definition of "bis-" in English

prefix

1. An occasional variant of bi- prefixed to roots beginning with a vowel, as in bisalternate

2. (chemistry, obsolete) A variant of di- used to indicate that the component that does not take the prefix occurs twice in the compound: a bisoxide is of the form B₂O (cf. dioxide for XO₂)

3. (mathematics, chemistry) A variant of di-, used for substitutions of two complex rather than simple units.

   • Bis (η⁶-arene) metal complexes have been made for many transition metals by the Al/AlCl₃ reduction method.