sŭpīnus, a, um, adj. [from sub; cf. ὕπτιος, from ὑπό, ὑπαί], backwards, bent backwards, thrown backwards, lying on the back, supine (opp. pronus, cernuus).
I Lit.
A In gen. (freq. and class.), of persons: stertitque supinus, Hor. S. 1, 5, 19; Suet. Aug. 16; id. Claud. 33: pater excitat supinum juvenem, i. e in bed , Juv. 14, 190.—Of animals, parts of the body, etc.: animal omne, ut vult, ita utitur motu sui corporis, prono, obliquo, supino, Cic. Div. 1, 53, 120: refracta videntur omnia converti sursumque supina reverti, Lucr. 4, 441: quid nunc supina sursum in caelum conspicis? Plaut. Cist. 2, 3, 78: cubitus, a lying on the back , Plin. 28, 4, 14, § 54: caput, thrown back , Quint. 11, 3, 69: cervix, id. 11, 3, 82: vultus, id. 1, 11, 9: ora, Cic. Univ. 14: venter, Hor. S. 1, 5, 85: testudines, Plin. 32, 4, 14, § 41: apes, id. 11, 8, 8, § 19: pugnans falce supinā, Juv. 8, 201: tendoque supinas Ad caelum cum voce manus, i. e. with the open palms turned upwards (a gesture of one praying), Verg. A. 3, 176; so, manus, Ov. M. 8, 681; Liv. 3, 50; 26, 9; Curt. 6, 6, 34; Suet. Vit. 7; Hor. C. 3, 23, 1; Quint. 11, 3, 99: cornua aliis adunca, aliis redunca, supina, convexa, Plin. 11, 37, 45, § 125: cathedra, an easy chair with an inclined back , id. 16, 37, 68, § 174: jactus, a throwing up , Liv. 30, 10, 13: signis supinis, lowered (opp. erectis), Spart. Sev. 7.— Comp. : in arborum tonsurā supiniore, Plin. 17, 23, 35, § 214. —
B In partic.
1 Of motion, backwards , going back , retrograde (poet.): nec redit in fontes unda supina suos, Ov. Med. Fac. 40: cursus fluminum, id. P. 4, 5, 43: carmen, i. e. that can be read backwards in the same metre , Mart. 2, 86, 1.—
2 Of localities.
a Sloping , inclined (not in Cic.; syn. declivis): tabulae scheda, Plin. 13, 12, 23, § 77: scandenti circa ima labor est ... si haec jam lenius supina evaseris, Quint. 12, 10, 79: per supinam vallem fusi, Liv. 4, 46, 5; 6, 24, 3; 7, 24, 5: sin tumulis adclive solum collisque supinos (metabere), Verg. G. 2, 276: per supina camporum, undulating , Amm. 22, 15, 7. —
b Stretched out , extended : Tibur, Hor. C. 3, 4, 23: solum, Plin. Pan. 30, 4: mare, Plin. 9, 2, 1, § 2: vindemia, id. 17, 22, 35, § 185. —
II Trop. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
A Of the mind.
1 Careless , thoughtless , heedless , negligent , indolent , supine : otiosi et supini (oratores), Quint. 10, 2, 17 Spald.: supini securique, id. 11, 3, 3; Dig. 18, 1, 15: animus, Cat. 17, 25: Maecenas, Juv. 1, 66: auris, Mart. 6, 42, 22: compositio (with tarda), Quint. 9, 4, 137: ignorantia, Dig. 22, 6, 6; Quint. 12, 10, 79. — Comp. : deliciae supiniores, Mart. 2, 6, 13. —
2 With head thrown back , haughty , proud : haec et talia dum refert supinus, Mart. 5, 8, 10; Pers. 1, 129.—
B In later gram. lang. sŭpīnum (sc. verbum).
1 The verbal form in um and u, the supine (perh. because, although furnished with substantive case-endings, it rests or falls back on the verb), Charis. p. 153 P.; Prisc. p. 811 ib. (called in Quint. 1, 4, 29, verba participialia).—
2 The verbal form in andum and endum, the gerund , Charis. p. 153 P.; Prisc. p. 823 ib. — Hence, * adv.: sŭpīnē (acc. to II. A. 1.), carelessly , negligently : beneficium accipere, Sen. Ben. 2, 24, 3.