ship images. The Makin Island Raid (occurred on 17 - 18 August 1942) was an attack by the United States Marine Corps on Japanese military forces on Makin Island (now known as Butaritari Island) in the Pacific Ocean.
Biannual is derived from the prefix bi-, which means two, twice, double, doubly, as it comes from the Latin bi-, meaning twice, double, and annual comes from the Old French twelfth century word, annuel, which derives from the Latin annus, year.
What does 'Semiannual' mean. A semiannual event happens twice a year, typically every six months. Semiannual is an adjective that can describe something that occurs, or is payable, reported or published twice each year, as in a semiannual periodical. For example, most bonds pay interest semiannually until maturity, meaning bond holders will receive two interest payments each year. BREAKING DOWN 'Semiannual'.