osculant

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

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