Oscillating Os"cil·la`ting adjective That oscillates; vibrating; swinging. Oscillating engine ,
a steam engine whose cylinder oscillates on trunnions instead of being permanently fixed in a perpendicular or other direction. Weale.
Oscillating current Os"cil·lat`ing current (Electricity) A current alternating in direction.
Oscillation Os`cil·la"tion noun [ Latin
oscillatio a swinging.]
1. The act of oscillating; a swinging or moving backward and forward, like a pendulum; vibration. 2. Fluctuation; variation; change back and forth. His mind oscillated, undoubtedly; but the extreme points of the oscillation were not very remote.
Macaulay. Axis of oscillation ,
Center of oscillation .
See under Axis , and Center .
Oscillative Os"cil·la·tive adjective Tending to oscillate; vibratory. [ R.]
I. Taylor.
Oscillator Os"cil·la`tor noun One that oscillates ; specif.:
(a) (Electricity) Any device for producing electric oscillations; esp., an apparatus for generating electric waves in a system of wireless telegraphy. (b) (Mech.) An instrument for measuring rigidity by the torsional oscillations of a weighted wire.
Oscillatoria Os`cil·la·to"ri·a noun plural [ New Latin See
Oscillatory .]
(Botany) Same as Oscillaria .
Oscillatory Os"cil·la·to·ry adjective [ Confer French
oscillatoire . See
Oscillate .]
Moving, or characterized by motion, backward and forward like a pendulum; swinging; oscillating; vibratory; as, oscillatory motion.
Oscillogram Os"cil·lo·gram noun [ Latin
oscillare +
-gram .]
(Electricity) An autographic record made by an oscillograph.
Oscillograph Os"cil·lo·graph noun [ Latin
oscillare to swing +
-graph .]
(Electricity) An apparatus for recording or indicating alternating-current wave forms or other electrical oscillations, usually consisting of a galvanometer with strong field, in which the mass of the moving part is very small and frequency of vibration very high. --
Os`cil*lo*graph"ic adjective
Oscillometer Os`cil·lom"e·ter noun [ Latin
oscillare to swing +
-meter .]
An instrument for measuring the angle through which a ship rolls or pitches at sea.
Oscilloscope Os·cil"lo·scope noun [ Latin
oscillare to swing +
-scope .]
(Electricity) An instrument for showing visually the changes in a varying current; an oscillograph.
Oscine Os"cine adjective (Zoology) Relating to the Oscines.
Oscines Os"ci·nes noun plural [ Latin
oscen ,
-inis .]
(Zoology) Singing birds; a group of the Passeres, having numerous syringeal muscles, conferring musical ability.
Oscinian Os·cin"i·an noun (Zoology) One of the Oscines, or singing birds.
Oscinian Os·cin"i·an noun (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of dipterous files of the family Oscinidæ . » Some, whose larvæ live in the stalks, are very destructive to barley, wheat, and rye; others, as the barley fly (
Oscinis frit ), destroy the heads of grain.
Oscinine Os"ci·nine adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Oscines.
Oscitancy Os"ci·tan·cy noun [ See
Oscitant .]
1. The act of gaping or yawning. 2. Drowsiness; dullness; sluggishness. Hallam. It might proceed from the oscitancy of transcribers.
Addison.
Oscitant Os"ci·tant adjective [ Latin
oscitans ,
-antis , present participle of
oscitare : confer French
oscitant .]
1. Yawning; gaping. 2. Sleepy; drowsy; dull; sluggish; careless. He must not be oscitant , but intent on his charge.
Barrow.
Oscitantly Os"ci·tant·ly adverb In an oscitant manner.
Oscitate Os"ci·tate intransitive verb [ Latin
oscitare ;
os the mouth +
citare , v. intens. from
ciere to move.]
To gape; to yawn.
Oscitation Os`ci·ta"tion noun [ Latin
oscitatio : confer French
oscitation .]
The act of yawning or gaping. Addison.
Osculant Os"cu·lant adjective [ Latin
osculans ,
-antis , present participle of
osculari to kiss. See
Osculate .]
1. Kissing; hence, meeting; clinging. 2. (Zoology) Adhering closely; embracing; -- applied to certain creeping animals, as caterpillars. 3. (Biol.) 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.
Osculate Os"cu·late transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Osculated ;
present participle & verbal noun Osculating .] [ Latin
osculatus , past participle of
osculari to kiss, from
osculum a little mouth, a kiss, dim. of
os mouth. See
Oral , and confer
Oscillate .]
1. To kiss. 2. (Geom.) To touch closely, so as to have a common curvature at the point of contact. See Osculation , 2.
Osculate Os"cu·late intransitive verb 1. To kiss one another; to kiss. 2. (Geom.) To touch closely. See Osculation , 2. 3. (Biol.) To have characters in common with two genera or families, so as to form a connecting link between them; to interosculate. See Osculant .
Osculation Os`cu·la"tion noun [ Latin
osculatio a kissing: confer French
osculation .]
1. The act of kissing; a kiss. 2. (Geom.) The contact of one curve with another, when the number of consecutive points of the latter through which the former passes suffices for the complete determination of the former curve. Brande & C.
Osculatory Os"cu·la·to·ry adjective 1. Of or pertaining to kissing; kissing. "The
osculatory ceremony."
Thackeray. 2. (Geom.) Pertaining to, or having the properties of, an osculatrix; capable of osculation; as, a circle may be osculatory with a curve, at a given point. Osculatory circle .
(Geom.) See Osculating circle of a curve , under Circle . --
Osculatory plane (to a curve of double curvature),
a plane which passes through three successive points of the curve. --
Osculatory sphere (to a line of double curvature), a sphere passing through four consecutive points of the curve.
Osculatory Os"cu·la·to·ry noun [ Late Latin
osculatorium . See
Osculate .]
(R. C. Ch.) Same as Pax , 2.
Osculatrix Os`cu·la"trix noun ;
plural Osculatrixes . [ New Latin ]
(Geom.) A curve whose contact with a given curve, at a given point, is of a higher order (or involves the equality of a greater number of successive differential coefficients of the ordinates of the curves taken at that point) than that of any other curve of the same kind.
Oscule Os"cule noun [ Confer French
oscule . See
Osculum .]
(Zoology) One of the excurrent apertures of sponges.
Osculum Os"cu·lum noun ;
plural Oscula . [ Latin , a little mouth.]
(Zoology) Same as Oscule .
Osier O"sier noun [ French
osier : confer
Prov . French
oisis , Armor.
ozil ,
aozil , Greek ..., ..., ..., Latin
vitex , and English
withy .]
(Botany) (a) A kind of willow ( Salix viminalis ) growing in wet places in Europe and Asia, and introduced into North America. It is considered the best of the willows for basket work. The name is sometimes given to any kind of willow. (b) One of the long, pliable twigs of this plant, or of other similar plants. The rank of osiers by the murmuring stream.
Shak. Osier bed , or
Osier holt ,
a place where willows are grown for basket making. [ Eng.] --
Red osier .
(a) A kind of willow with reddish twigs ( Salix rubra ). (b) An American shrub ( Cornus stolonifera ) which has slender red branches; -- also called osier cornel .
Osier O"sier adjective Made of osiers; composed of, or containing, osiers. "This
osier cage of ours."
Shak.
Osiered O"siered adjective Covered or adorned with osiers; as, osiered banks. [ Poetic]
Collins.
Osiery O"sier·y noun An osier bed.
Osiris O·si"ris noun [ Latin , from Greek ...; of Egyptian origin.]
(Myth.) One of the principal divinities of Egypt, the brother and husband of Isis. He was figured as a mummy wearing the royal cap of Upper Egypt, and was symbolized by the sacred bull, called Apis . Confer Serapis . --
O*sir"i*an adjective
Osmanli Os"man·li noun ;
plural Osmanlis . [ So called from
Osman . See
Ottoman .]
A Turkish official; one of the dominant tribe of Turks; loosely, any Turk.
Osmate Os"mate noun (Chemistry) A salt of osmic acid. [ Formerly written also
osmiate .]
Osmaterium Os`ma·te"ri·um noun ;
plural Osmateria . [ New Latin , from Greek ... smell.]
(Zoology) One of a pair of scent organs which the larvæ of certain butterflies emit from the first body segment, either above or below.
Osmazome Os"ma·zome noun [ Greek ... smell, odor + ... broth: confer French
osmazôme .]
(Old Chem.) A substance formerly supposed to give to soup and broth their characteristic odor, and probably consisting of one or several of the class of nitrogenous substances which are called extractives .
Osmiamate Os`mi·am"ate noun (Chemistry) A salt of osmiamic acid.
Osmiamic Os`mi·am"ic adjective [
Osmi um +
am ido.]
(Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or designating, a nitrogenous acid of osmium, H 2 N 2 Os 2 O 5 , forming a well-known series of yellow salts.
Osmic Os"mic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, osmium; specifically, designating those compounds in which it has a valence higher than in other lower compounds; as, osmic oxide. Osmic acid .
(Chemistry) (a) Osmic tetroxide . [ Obsolete]
(b) Osmic acid proper, an acid analogous to sulphuric acid, not known in the free state, but forming a well-known and stable series of salts (osmates), which were formerly improperly called osmites . --
Osmic tetroxide (Chemistry) ,
a white volatile crystalline substance, OsO 4 , the most stable and characteristic of the compounds of osmium. It has a burning taste, and gives off a vapor, which is a powerful irritant poison, violently attacking the eyes, and emitting a strong chlorinelike odor. Formerly improperly called osmic acid .
Osmidrosis Os`mi·dro"sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... smell + ... to sweat.]
(Medicine) The secretion of fetid sweat.
Osmious Os"mi·ous adjective (Chemistry) Denoting those compounds of osmium in which the element has a valence relatively lower than in the osmic compounds; as, osmious chloride. [ Written also
osmous .]
Osmious acid (Chemistry) , an acid derived from osmium, analogous to sulphurous acid, and forming unstable salts. It is a brown amorphous substance.
Osmite Os"mite noun (Chemistry) A salt of osmious acid.
Osmium Os"mi·um noun [ Greek ... a smell, odor, akin to ... to smell. So named in allusion to the strong chlorinelike odor of osmic tetroxide. See
Odor .]
(Chemistry) A rare metallic element of the platinum group, found native as an alloy in platinum ore, and in iridosmine. It is a hard, infusible, bluish or grayish white metal, and the heaviest substance known. Its tetroxide is used in histological experiments to stain tissues. Symbol Os . Atomic weight 191.1. Specific gravity 22.477.
Osmogene Os"mo·gene noun [
Osmo se + root of Greek ... race.]
An apparatus, consisting of a number of cells whose sides are of parchment paper, for conducting the process of osmosis. It is used esp. in sugar refining to remove potassium salts from the molasses.
Osmograph Os"mo·graph noun [
Osmo se +
-graph .]
(Physics) An instrument for recording the height of the liquid in an endosmometer or for registering osmotic pressures.
Osmometer Os·mom"e·ter noun [ Greek ... impulse +
-meter .]
(Physics) An instrument for measuring the amount of osmotic action in different liquids.
Osmometry Os·mom"e·try noun (Physics) The study of osmose by means of the osmometer.
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