Emily Dickinson Lexicon

OS-CI-TA'TION, n.

The act of yawning or gaping front sleepiness.

OS'CU-LANT, a.

Kissing.

OS-CU-LA'TION, n. [L. osculatio, a kissing.]

In geometry, the contact between any given curve and its osculatory circle, that is, a circle of the same curvature with the given curve. Cyc.

OS'CU-LA-TO-RY, a.

An osculatory circle, in geometry, is a circle having the same curvature with any curve at any given point. Cyc.

OS'CU-LA-TO-RY, n.

In church history, a tablet or board, with the picture of Christ or the Virgin, &c. which is kissed by the priest and then delivered to the people for the same purpose. Cyc.

O-SIER, n. [o'zher; Fr. osier; Sax. hos. Qu.]

A willow or water willow, or the twig of the willow, used in making baskets. Pope.

O'SIER-ED, a.

Covered or adorned with osiers. Elton.

O'SIER-HOLT, n. [O'SIER HOLT; Sax. holt, a wood.]

In England, a place where willows for basket work are cultivated. Hooker's Brit. Flora.

OS'MA-ZOME, n. [Gr. οσμη, odor, and ζωμος, juice.]

A substance of an aromatic flavor, obtained from the flesh of the ox. It is of a yellowish brown color, is soluble both in water and alcohol, whether cold or hot, but it does not form a jelly by concentration. It gives the characteristic odor and taste of soup. Thenard.

OS'MI-UM, n. [Gr. οσμη, odor.]

A metal contained in the ore of platinum. A native alloy of this metal with iridium is found in grains along the rivers in South America. Osmium has a dark gray color; it is not volatile when heated in close vessels, but heated in the open air, it absorbs oxygen and forms a volatile oxyd, or rather acid, which is insoluble in the acids, readily soluble in potassa and very volatile. It takes its name from the singular smell of this oxyd or acid. Cyc.

OS'MUND, n.

A plant of the genus Osmunda. The most remarkable species is the osmund royal or flowering fern, growing in marshes, the root of which boiled, is very slimy, and is used in stiffening linen. Encyc.

OS-NA-BURG, n. [oz'nburg.]

A species of coarse linen imported from Osnaburg, in Germany.

OS'PRAY, n. [L. ossifraga; os, a bone, and frango, to break; the bone-breaker.]

The sea-eagle, a fowl of the genus Falco or hawk, of the size of the peacock. This is our fish hawk. It feeds on fish, which it takes by suddenly darting upon them, when near the surface of the water. Encyc.

OS'SE-LET, n. [Fr. from L. os, ossis, a bone.]

A hard substance growing on the inside of a horse's knee, among the small bones. Far. Dict.

OS'SE-OUS, a. [L. osseus, from os, a bone.]

Bony; resembling bone. Parkhurst.

OS'SI-CLE, n. [L. ossiculum.]

A small bone. Holder.

OS-SIF'ER-OUS, a. [L. os, a bone, and fero, to produce.]

Producing or furnishing bones. Buckland.

OS-SIF'IC, a. [L. os, a bone, and facio, to make.]

Having power to ossify or change carneous and membranous substances to bone. Wiseman.

OS-SI-F'I-CA'TION, n. [from ossify.]

1. The change or process of changing from flesh or other matter of animal bodies into a bony substance; as, the ossification of an artery. Sharp.
2. The formation of bones in animals.

OS'SI-FI-ED, pp.

Converted into bone, or a hard substance like bone.

OS'SI-FRAGE, n. [L. ossifraga. See Ospray.]

The ospray or sea-eagle. In Leviticus xi. 13, it denotes a different fowl.

OS'SI-FY, v.i.

To become bone; to change from soft matter into a substance of bony hardness.

OS'SI-FY, v.t. [L. os, bone, and facio, to form.]

To form bone; to change from a soft animal substance into bone, or convert into a substance of the hardness of bones. This is done by the deposition of calcarious phosphate or carbonate on the part. Sharp. Ure.

OS-SI-FY'ING, ppr.

Changing into bone; becoming bone.

OS-SIV'O-ROUS, a. [L. os, bone, and voro, to eat.]

Feeding on bones; eating bones; as, ossivorous quadrupeds. Derham.