retrovorsus

rē̆trō-versus or -sum ( -vorsus, and sync. rē̆trōrsus, -sum, also rē̆trōsus, Tert. Apol. 19), a, um, adj. [verto], turned back or backwards (adj. very rare, but freq. as adv.; v. infra).

(α).

Form rē̆trōversus:

Medusae Ipse retroversus squalentia prodidit ora,

Ov. M. 4, 655:

retroversi ortus omen,

Sol. 4. — Trop.:

argumentum,

confuted, Lact. 1, 16 fin. —

(β).

Form rē̆trōrsus:

retrorsā manu,

Plin. 26, 9, 60, § 93:

denique saepe retrorsa respiciens (mulier) substitit,

App. M. 2, 6 Hild. p. 101 Oud. (retrorsus, p. 101 Elm.).—

B.

Trop., back, as to time, former, earlier; so only in comp.:

retrosior,

older, Tert. Apol. 19.—Hence, adv., in four forms: retrorsum (the predom. one, class.), retrorsus, retrovorsum, and retroversus, back, backwards, behind.

I.

Lit.

(α).

Form rē̆trōrsum:

me vestigia terrent, Omnia te adversum spectantia, nulla retrorsum,

Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 75:

vela dare,

id. C. 1, 34, 3; cf.:

mutata te ferat aura,

id. Ep. 1, 18, 88:

rejectae Hannibalis minae,

id. C. 4, 8, 16; cf.

redire,

Plin. 9, 31, 51, § 99.—

(β).

Form rē̆trōrsus: dare terga metu, Val. Fl. 3, 268:

cedentem,

Sil. 11, 513; App. M. 3, p. 143, 39.—

(γ).

Form rē̆trōvorsum: cedam, imitabor nepam, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Non. 145, 14; Macr. S. 1, 17. —

(δ).

Form rē̆trōversus:

colonia crescit tamquam coda vituli,

Petr. 44, 12.—

II.

Trop.

a.

In time, back, before, earlier (jurid. Lat.):

retrorsus ad id tempus, etc.,

Dig. 15, 1, 32 fin.:

retrorsum se actio refert,

ib. 13, 5, 18.—

b.

In other relations, back, backwards, in return, in reversed order.

(α).

Form rē̆trōrsum: ex terrā aqua, ex aquā oritur aer, ex aëre aether;

deinde retrorsum vicissim ex aethere aër, etc.,

Cic. N. D. 2, 33, 84 (cf. the like use of retro, Lucr. 1, 785):

ut viros ac feminas, diem ac noctem dicas potius, quam retrorsum,

Quint. 9, 4, 23; 7, 1, 25:

quaedam et retrorsum idem valent,

id. 5, 9, 6:

sed omnia retrorsum,

Flor. 4, 12, 25.—

(β).

Form rē̆trōrsus:

ac si retrorsus homo mihi venisset,

Dig. 44, 3, 6, § 1.