osculate

[ os-kyuh-leyt ]
See synonyms for osculate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object),os·cu·lat·ed, os·cu·lat·ing.
  1. to come into close contact or union.

  2. Geometry. (of a curve) to touch another curve or another part of the same curve so as to have the same tangent and curvature at the point of contact.

verb (used with object),os·cu·lat·ed, os·cu·lat·ing.
  1. to bring into close contact or union.

  2. Geometry. (of a curve) to touch (another curve or another part of the same curve) in osculation or close contact.

  1. to kiss.

Origin of osculate

1
1650–60; <Latin ōsculātus (past participle of ōsculārī to kiss), equivalent to ōscul(um) kiss, literally, little mouth (see osculum) + -ātus-ate1

Other words from osculate

  • os·cu·la·to·ry [os-kyuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], /ˈɒs kyə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjective
  • un·os·cu·lat·ed, adjective

Words that may be confused with osculate

Words Nearby osculate

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

How to use osculate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for osculate

osculate

/ (ˈɒskjʊˌleɪt) /


verb
  1. usually jocular to kiss

  2. (intr) (of an organism or group of organisms) to be intermediate between two taxonomic groups

  1. geometry to touch in osculation

Origin of osculate

1
C17: from Latin ōsculārī to kiss; see osculum

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