definitions

osculation

[ os-kyuh-ley-shuh n ]
/ ˌɒs kyəˈleɪ ʃən /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR osculation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of kissing.
a kiss.
close contact.
Geometry. the contact between two osculating curves or the like.

RELATED WORDS

buss, smooch, smack, caress, embrace, smacker, endearment, salutation, peck, salute, butterfly

Nearby words

osculant, oscular, osculate, osculating circle, osculating plane, osculation, osculatory, osculum, osd, osee, osetic

Origin of osculation

1650–60; < Latin ōsculātiōn- (stem of ōsculātiō) a kissing, equivalent to ōsculāt(us) (see osculate) + -iōn- -ion
Can be confusedauscultation osculation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for osculation

British Dictionary definitions for osculation

osculation

/ (ˌɒskjʊˈleɪʃən) /

noun

Also called: tacnode maths a point at which two branches of a curve have a common tangent, each branch extending in both directions of the tangent
rare the act or an instance of kissing
Derived Formsosculatory (ˈɒskjʊlətərɪ, -trɪ), adjective
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

Word Origin and History for osculation

osculation

n.

"kissing; a kiss," 1650s, from Latin osculationem (nominative osculatio), noun of action from past participle stem of osculari (see osculate).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper