Osculant
adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The point at which two tangent curves touch.
- 2 a form of tacinvariant of hypersurfaces that have a point in common
- 3 The condition that the solution to a set of simultaneous quantics, is also the solution of the corresponding set of tangential quantics.
Adjective
- 1 Kissing; hence, touching or meeting; clinging. not-comparable
- 2 Adhering closely; applied to certain creeping animals, such as caterpillars. not-comparable
- 3 Intermediate between two genera, groups, families, etc., and having some of the characteristics of each; interosculant. not-comparable
"The genera by which two families approximate are called osculant genera."
- 4 Intermediate between multiple potentially reconstructible protoforms, but having a mismatch in semantics or morphology that cannot be explained through regular patterns of change. not-comparable
- 5 Tangent, touching at a single point. not-comparable
Example
More examples"The genera by which two families approximate are called osculant genera."
Etymology
From Latin osculans, osculantis, present participle of osculari (“to kiss”). See osculate.