inosculate

[ in-os-kyuh-leyt ]

verb (used with or without object),in·os·cu·lat·ed, in·os·cu·lat·ing.
  1. to unite by openings, as arteries in anastomosis.

  2. to connect or join so as to become or make continuous, as fibers; blend.

  1. to unite intimately.

Origin of inosculate

1
First recorded in 1665–75; in-2 + osculate

Other words from inosculate

  • in·os·cu·la·tion, noun

Words Nearby inosculate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use inosculate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for inosculate

inosculate

/ (ɪnˈɒskjʊˌleɪt) /


verb
  1. physiol (of small blood vessels) to communicate by anastomosis

  2. to unite or be united so as to be continuous; blend

  1. to intertwine or cause to intertwine

Origin of inosculate

1
C17: from in- ² + Latin ōsculāre to equip with an opening, from ōsculum, diminutive of ōs mouth

Derived forms of inosculate

  • inosculation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012