Osculation

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ˌɒs.kjʊˈleɪ.ʃən/, /ˌɒs.kjəˈleɪ.ʃən/
• US IPA: /ˌɑːs.kjuːˈleɪ.ʃən/, /ˌɑːs.kjəˈleɪ.ʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Origin

From Latin ōsculātiō ("a kissing"), from osculor ("I kiss").

Noun

1. The action of kissing
2. A kiss
3. A close contact
4. (mathematics) A contact between curves or surfaces, at which point they have a common tangent
5. (Vedic arithmetic) Determining whether a number is divisible by another by means of certain operations on its digits.

Related terms

• oscular
• osculate
• osculatory
• osculum