osculant Meaning, Definition & Usage

Os"cu*lant adjective
Etymology
L. osculans, -antis, p. pr. of osculari to kiss. See Osculate.
Definitions
  1. Kissing; hence, meeting; clinging.
  2. (Zoöl.) Adhering closely; embracing; -- applied to certain creeping animals, as caterpillars.
  3. (Biol.) 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.

Webster 1913