septendecennial en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˌsɛptəndɛˈsɛn.i.əl/
Etymology
From Latin septendec(im) (“seventeen”) + -ennial, after biennial, septennial, etc. By surface analysis, septen- + decennial.
Meanings
-
(not-comparable, rare) Occurring every seventeen years; pertaining to or designating a seventeen-year interval.
The septendecennial emergence of Magicicada septendecim represents one of the most remarkable synchronized reproductive cycles in the animal kingdom, with entire broods surfacing after precisely seventeen years underground.
2025, Henry Feinberg, Entomological Patterns and Lexical Precision:
Deriveds
Relateds
biennial · tredecennial · Magicicada septendecim · decennial · triennial · centennial · millennial · periodical cicada