Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

postīcus, a, um, adj. [post; like anticus from ante].

  1. I. That is behind, hinder, back-, posterior (class., but not in Cic. or Cæs.): est etiam hic ostium aliud posticum nostrarum aedium, backdoor, Plaut. Stich. 3, 1, 40; cf.: posticum ostium dicitur in posteriore parte aedium. Ceterum antiqui etiam vicinum habitantem ad posteriorem partem aedium sic appellarunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 220 Müll.: locus erat posticis aedium partibus, Liv. 23, 8: perrexit in interiores partes domuis posticae, of the backbuilding, out-house, Varr. ap. Non. 217, 7: domo posticā egressus, Val. Max. 5, 7, 3: muri, Varr. L. L. 5, § 42 Müll.: vicinus, v. Paul. ex Fest. l. l.: non peperit, verum posticā parte profudit, with the posteriors, Lucil. ap. Non. 217, 17: sannae, made behind the back, Pers. 1, 62: pedes, hind feet, Sol. 26: pars palatii, Suet. Oth. 6: posticam lineam in agris dividendis Serv. Sulpicius appellavit, ab exoriente sole ad occidentem quae spectabat, Fest. p. 233 Müll.: quae ante nos sunt, antica: et quae post nos sunt, postica dicuntur: et dextram anticam, sinistram posticam dicimus. Sic etiam ea caeli pars, quae sole illustratur ad meridiem, antica nominatur, quae ad septentrionem postica, Paul. ex Fest. p. 220 Müll.; cf.: ejus templi partes quattuor dicuntur: sinistra ab oriente, dextra ab occasu, antica ad meridiem, postica ad septentrionem, Varr. L. L. 7, § 7 Müll.
  2. II. Subst.
    1. A. postīca, ae, f., a backdoor (post-class.), App. M. 9, p. 217, 25; Dig. 7, 1, 13.
    2. B. postīcum, i, n.
      1. 1. A backdoor (the prevailing form for this signif.): per posticum se conferre, Plaut. Most. 3, 3, 27: atria servantem postico falle clientem, Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 31; Vulg. Dan. 13, 18.
      2. 2. The back part of a building, the rear front, Titin. ap. Non. 217, 19: in pronao, et postico, Vitr. 3, 1.
      3. 3. A backhouse, privy (anteclass.), Lucil. ap. Non. 217, 20.
      4. 4. The posteriors, the fundament (ante- and postclass.): retrimenta cibi, quae exierunt per posticum, Varr. ap. Non. 217, 24; also in plur., Arn. 2, 54.