Definition

1. Verb:
   • To kiss: To touch with the lips, especially as a sign of love, greeting, or reverence. This is a formal, humorous, or rare usage.
   • To have contact at three or more points: In mathematics (geometry), for two curves or surfaces to touch or meet so that they have a common tangent at the point of contact, with at least three coincident points.
   • To be intermediate between: In biology, for a species or group to have characteristics placing it between two other taxonomic groups; to be contiguous or share common traits.

Examples of Usage

• Verb (To kiss):

  • The poet wrote that the two lovers would osculate beneath the moonlight. (The poet wrote that the two lovers would kiss beneath the moonlight.)
  • In the old play, the characters osculate to seal their pact. (In the old play, the characters kiss to seal their pact.)

• Verb (Mathematics):

  • The circle is constructed to osculate the parabola at this specific vertex. (The circle is constructed to touch the parabola at this specific vertex with three-point contact.)
  • When these two curves osculate, their curvature at the point of contact is identical. (When these two curves meet with higher-order contact, their curvature at the point of contact is identical.)

• Verb (Biology):

  • This particular species appears to osculate between the two major genera, sharing key features of both. (This particular species appears to be intermediate between the two major genera, sharing key features of both.)

Advanced Usage

• "osculating circle": In differential geometry, the circle that most closely approximates a curve at a given point; the circle that has three-point contact (osculates) with the curve at that point.
  • The radius of the osculating circle is the inverse of the curvature.
• "osculating plane": In the study of space curves, the plane that contains the tangent and has the closest contact with the curve at a point.
  • The curve lies locally in its osculating plane.

Variants and Related Words

• Osculation (n): The act or instance of kissing; the state of touching or meeting, especially in mathematics.
  • The osculation of the two curves was proven in the theorem.
• Osculatory (adj): Pertaining to kissing or to contact in mathematics.
  • The osculatory circle provides a local approximation.

Synonyms

• Kiss: To touch with the lips (for the first meaning).
• Touch: To be in contact (general).
• Meet: To come into contact (general, mathematical).
• Contact: The state of touching.

Related Phrases

• To osculate with: To be in close contact or alignment with.
  • The new model's predictions osculate with the observed data at several critical points.

Verb

1. touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
   • The newly married couple kissed
   • She kissed her grandfather on the forehead when she entered the room
2. have at least three points in common with
   • one curve osculates the other
   • these two surfaces osculate
3. be intermediate between two taxonomic groups
   • These species osculate