- osculant
-
adj. [L. osculare, to kiss]1. Adhering closely.2. A connecting link between two groups; having intermediate characters, as in genera and species.
Online Dictionary of Invertebrate Zoology. A.R. Maggenti and S.L. Gardne. 2005.
osculant
Look at other dictionaries:
Osculant — Os cu*lant, a. [L. osculans, antis, p. pr. of osculari to kiss. See {Osculate}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Kissing; hence, meeting; clinging. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) Adhering closely; embracing; applied to certain creeping animals, as caterpillars.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
osculant — [äs′kyo͞o lənt, äs′kyələnt] adj. [L osculans, prp. of osculari: see OSCULATE] 1. Biol. intermediate; linking; shared: said of a characteristic common to two or more groups, genera, etc. 2. Zool. gripping or adhering together … English World dictionary
osculant — /os kyeuh leuhnt/, adj. 1. united by certain common characteristics. 2. adhering closely; embracing. [1810 20; < L osculant (s. of osculans), prp. of osculari to kiss; see OSCULATE, ANT] * * * … Universalium
osculant — ˈäskyələnt adjective Etymology: New Latin osculant , osculans, from Latin, present participle of osculari to kiss 1. : intermediate in character : forming a connecting link between two groups 2. : adhering closely : embracing … Useful english dictionary
osculant — a. 1. Kissing, osculatory, osculating. 2. (Ent.) Embracing, adhering … New dictionary of synonyms
osculant — os·cu·lant … English syllables
osculant — Pertaining to a close embrace or long kiss … Grandiloquent dictionary
osculant — /ˈɒskjələnt/ (say oskyuhluhnt) adjective 1. united by certain common characteristics. 2. Zoology adhering closely; embracing. {Latin osculans, present participle, kissing} …
Interosculant — In ter*os cu*lant, a. 1. Mutually touching or intersecting; as, interosculant circles. [1913 Webster] 2. (Biol.) Uniting two groups; said of certain genera which connect family groups, or of species that connect genera. See {Osculant}. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Osculate — Os cu*late, v. i. 1. To kiss one another; to kiss. [1913 Webster] 2. (Geom.) To touch closely. See {Osculation}, 2. [1913 Webster] 3. (Biol.) To have characters in common with two genera or families, so as to form a connecting link between them;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
