/ˌɒskjᵿˈleɪtrᵻsiːz/, U.S. /ˌɑskjəˈleɪtrəˌsiz/, osculatrixes.osculatrixn.
/ˈɒskjʊlətrɪks/, /ˌɒskjᵿˈleɪtrɪks/, U.S. /ˈɑskjələˌtrɪks/, /ˌɑskjəˈleɪtrɪks//ˌɒskjᵿˈleɪtrᵻsiːz/, U.S. /ˌɑskjəˈleɪtrəˌsiz/, osculatrixes. Now rare.
1. Geometry. A curve or surface that osculates another curve or surface.
ΚΠ
1852 C. Davies Elem. Differential & Integral Calculus vii. 150 The line which has a higher order of contact with a given curve than can be found for any other line of the same species, is called an osculatrix.
1864 W. R. Hamilton in Proc. Royal Irish Acad. 1861–4 8 332 I have not hitherto been able to learn, from any book or friend, that even the conception of the problem of the determination of such an osculatrix, had occurred to any one before me.
1878 W. G. Peck in Johnson's New Universal Cycl. III. 1005/1 It is a property of osculatrices that no osculatrix whose contact is of an odd order can cut the curve to which it is osculatory at the point of osculation.
1971 Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italiana 42 3 The osculating elements of the orbit of comet Honda 1968 c have been calculated and an osculatrix iperbolic [sic] orbit has been found.
2. A woman who kisses.Apparently an isolated use.
ΚΠ
1909 A. Haultain Hints for Lovers 233 Despite the varieties of beards and moustachios, never will you hear from your osculatrix the source of her knowledge of that variety.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1852