"state or quality of being bivalent," 1868; see bivalent + -ence. Bivalency is from 1872. Divalence later was said to be the preferred word.
Entries linking to bivalence
bivalent adj.
1864, in chemistry, applied to an element an atom of which can replace two atoms of hydrogen or other univalent element, from bi- + -valent (see valence in the chemistry sense). By 1899 in reference to chromosomes.