• BACK

1.

• tergum (in opposition to frons): dorsum (the back of a quadruped: m opposion to venter or alvus. According to Döderlein, dorsum, from δέρας, denotes the back in a horizontal direction; consequently, the back of an animal, in opposition to the belly, like νῶτον: tergum, the back, in a perpendicular direction; consequently the part between the shoulders in a man, in opposition to the breast, like μετάφρενον. Hence dorsum montis denotes the uppermost surface; tergum montis, the hinder part ef a mountain): with the back toward one, aversus: with his bach to the light, aversus a lumine. Back to back, inter se aversi: to bind the hands behind the back, religare or revincire manus post tergum or post terga: to put the hands behind the back, rejicere manus in tergum: to walk up and down with the hands behind the back, manibus in tergum rejectis mambulare: to take on the back, aliquem or aliquid in tergum accipere (Cic., De N.D., 2, 63, 159): to lift on one’s back, aliquem or aliquid humeria attollere: to lie on the back, supinum cubare (in opposition to in faciem cubare, Juv., 3, 280): the wina is at one’s back, tergum afflat ventus. To lay upon its back, resupinare: to turn their backs, terga vertere or dare (take to flight): as soon as aqr back was turned, simul ac discesserim: to turn one’s back upon anyone alicui tergum (of several terga) obvertere (litterally); aliquem deserere (to leave in the lurch); alicui deesse (to fail him): behind anyone’s back, clam aliquo, or aliqao inscio, aliquo ab sente: to speak ill of a person behind his back, alicui absenti male dicere.
• Back part: pars aversa: tergum: pars posterior: back of the paper, charta aversa. Written on the back, scriptus in tergo (Juv.). The back of the head, aversa pars capitis: occiput: back of the island, aversa (plur.) insulae: of the mountain, aversa rnontis: aversus mons: at the back of the house, (in) aversa parte domus (i. e., in the hack side of the principal building); in postico: (in) postica parte aedium: (in) postica domo (in the back buildings). He lives at the back of the house, habitat in aversa parte domus (i. e., his windowslook into the court): habitat in postica aedium parte (in some of the back buildings). There was a garden at the back of the house, hortus erat posticis aedium partibus.

2. adv., retro, retrorsum: when used elliptically it is expressed by cede! cedite! recede! recedite! mostly expressed by re in composition; e.g., to call back, revocare: to turn back, reverti (the past tenses from the perfect, reverti: hence reverteram, etc., seldom reversus sum. But the participle reversus has the active meaning): of a driver, equos flectere: to run back, recurrere: to fly back, revolare: to roll back, revolvere: to drive the enemy back from the city, hostes ab urbe repellere or rejicere: to go back to the origin and head of anything, aliquid alte et a capite repetere.

3.

• v. a.,
• Mount, conscendere (e.g., equum, to back or mount a horse).
• To back or take the part of anybody, suffragari alicui; alicui favere; juvare or adjuvare aliquem; adjumento esse alicui; aliquem consilio et re tueri, or opera et consilio juvare: sustentare: sustinere.
• To back or retreat, se recipere, retrorsum movere; to back water, navem retro inhibere: inhilbere navem remis, or inhibere remis only.