Doesn't 'biaxial' imply non zero normal stresses (or all the other stresses, normal and shear, are near zero or zero) in only two directions? Though I have never seen that used any other way besides for a thin, rectangular plate (plane stress that is), loaded with tension or compression normal to the outside edges, I can guess that this definition of 'biaxiality' would be too restrictive. What would you call the stress state in a structure with all stresses (normal and shear) zero except for two (say two shears, or a normal and a shear)? The axial part of biaxial implies in the direction of one of the coordinate axes; however, why exclude shear stresses from the discussion? Because of historic convention?