rē̆trō-versus or -sum (-vorsus, and sync. rē̆trōrsus, -sum, also rē̆-trōsus, Tert. Apol. 19), a, um, adj. [verto],
I turned back or backwards (adj. very rare, but freq. as adv.; v. infra).
α Form rē̆-trōversus : 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, Ap. Met. 2, 6, 21 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; Ap. Met. 3, p. 143, 39 (not found).—
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 rē̆trōr-sum : 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.