Osculatory plane

Osculatory Os"cu*la*to*ry, a. 1. Of or pertaining to kissing; kissing. ``The osculatory ceremony.'' --Thackeray. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

{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. [1913 Webster]