rĕcī̆prŏco, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. and n. [reciprocus].
- I. Act., to move backwards or back and forth (rare but class.; cf.: meo, remeo).
- A. Lit.: rursus prorsus reciprocat fluctus feram, bears to and fro, Enn. ap. Non. 165, 11, and 384 fin. (Trag. v. 143 Vahl.): refluusque reciprocat aestus, Sil. 15, 225: (ventus) cum jam spiritum includeret nec reciprocare animam sineret, to breathe, fetch their breath, Liv. 21, 58, 4: spiritum per fistulam, Gell. 17, 11, 4: aurae per anhelitum reciprocatae, Arn. 2, 54: manu telum reciprocans, brandishing, Gell. 9, 11, 5: quid Chalcidico Euripo in motu identidem reciprocando putas fieri posse constantius? Cic. N. D. 3, 10, 24; cf. under II.: serram, to draw back and forth, Tert. Cor. Mil. 3: circulos, Prud. στεφ. 10, 573: quinqueremem in adversum aestum reciprocari non posse, would not be able to tack about, Liv. 28, 30; cf.: quoniam aestus semper e Ponto profluens nunquam reciprocetur, flow back, Plin. 4, 13, 27, § 93: reciprocari mare coepit, Curt. 9, 9, 20.
- * B. Trop., to reverse, convert a proposition: si quidem ista sic reciprocantur, ut et, si divinatio sit, dii sint, et si dii sint, sit divinatio, Cic. Div. 1, 6, 10.
- II. Neutr., to move backwards, go back; to move back and forth, to come and go, reciprocate (perh. only since the Aug. per.): fretum ipsum Euripi non septies die temporibus statis reciprocat, rises and falls, Liv. 28, 6; so of the ebb and flow: Euripus, Plin. 2, 97, 100, § 219: mare, Curt. 9, 9, 20: aquae, Flor. 2, 8, 9; and of the ebb (opp. accedere), Plin. 2, 97, 89, § 212.
Of stars: saepe citra eos ad solem reciprocent, Plin. 2, 17, 14, § 72: nubem eos arcentem a reciprocando, from going back, id. 9, 46, 70, § 151.
Note: Reciprocare pro ultro citroque poscere usi sunt antiqui, quia procare est poscere, Fest. p. 229 Müll.