osculation

English

WOTD – 14 February 2008

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɒs.kjʊˈleɪ.ʃən/, /ˌɒs.kjəˈleɪ.ʃən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɑs.kjuˈleɪ.ʃən/, /ˌɑs.kjəˈleɪ.ʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

osculation of a circle and a curve C

osculation (plural osculations)

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

Translations

a contact between curves or surfaces

• Swedish: oskulation c