osculant
Americanadjective
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united by certain common characteristics.
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adhering closely; embracing.
adjective
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biology (of an organism or group of organisms) possessing some of the characteristics of two different taxonomic groups
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zoology closely joined or adhering
Etymology
Origin of osculant
1810–20; < Latin ōsculant- (stem of ōsculāns ), present participle of ōsculārī to kiss; see osculate, -ant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These osculant or aberrant forms occur most among parasitic groups, as the Stylopid�, Hippoboscid�, Pulicid�, Mallophaga, etc.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 648, June 2, 1888. by Various
As some few of the old and intermediate forms having transmitted to the present day descendants but little modified, these constitute our so-called osculant or aberrant groups.
From The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, 6th Edition by Darwin, Charles
OSCULANT.—Forms or groups apparently intermediate between and connecting other groups are said to be osculant.
From The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, 6th Edition by Darwin, Charles
A few old and intermediate parent-forms having occasionally transmitted to the present day descendants but little modified, will give to us our so-called osculant or aberrant groups.
From On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection, or, the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Darwin, Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
