bifolium

noun

bi·​fo·​li·​um (ˈ)bī-ˈfō-lē-əm How to pronounce bifolium (audio)
plural bifolia (ˈ)bī-ˈfō-lē-ə How to pronounce bifolium (audio)
: two sheets of paper, parchment, or similar material folded together to make four leaves
… verses are written, not on two sheets of paper, but on the recto and verso of the first leaf of a bifolium.—Sara S. Hodson, Times Literary Supplement, 24 June 1988
Though incomplete, in its present state it occupies close to eleven hundred folios, so large that each bifolium was formed from a whole skin.—Penn R. Szittya, Speculum, April 1999

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bifolium was in 1938

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Browse Nearby Words

bifoliolate
bifolium
bifollicular
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Cite this Entry

“Bifolium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bifolium. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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