OSCULANT

Etymology

Adjective

osculant (not comparable)

Kissing; hence, touching or meeting; clinging.

(zoology) Adhering closely; applied to certain creeping animals, such as caterpillars.

(biology) Intermediate between two genera, groups, families, etc, and having some of the characteristics of each; interosculant.

(Bantu linguistics) Intermediate between multiple potentially reconstructible protoforms, but having a mismatch in semantics or morphology that cannot be explained through regular patterns of change.

Anagrams

• Lacounts, consulta

Source: Wiktionary

Os"cu*lant, a. Etym: [L. osculans, -antis, p. pr. of osculari to kiss. See Osculate.]

1. Kissing; hence, meeting; clinging.

2. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Adhering closely; embracing; -- applied to certain creeping animals, as caterpillars.

3. (Biol.)

Definition: 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition