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.

postīca, ae, v. posticus.

postīcum, i, n., v. posticus.

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.