| osculant | 1. Kissing; hence, meeting; clinging. 2. <zoology> Adhering closely; embracing; applied to certain creeping animals, as caterpillars. 3. <biology> Intermediate in character, or on the border, between two genera, groups, families, etc, of animals or plants, and partaking somewhat of the characters of each, thus forming a connecting link; interosculant; as, the genera by which two families approximate are called osculant genera. Origin: L. Osculans, -antis, p. Pr. Of osculari to kiss. See Osculate. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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