Lewis & Short

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rē̆trō-versus or -sum (-vorsus, and sync. rē̆trōrsus, -sum, also rē̆-trōsus, Tert. Apol. 19), a, um, adj. [verto], turned back or backwards (adj. very rare, but freq. as adv.; v. infra).

        1. (α) Form rē̆-trōversus: Medusae Ipse retroversus squalentia prodidit ora, Ov. M. 4, 655: retroversi ortus omen, Sol. 4.
          Trop.: argumentum, confuted, Lact. 1, 16 fin.
        2. (β) Form rē̆trōrsus: retrorsā manu, Plin. 26, 9, 60, § 93: denique saepe retrorsa respiciens (mulier) substitit, App. M. 2, 6 Hild. p. 101 Oud. (retrorsus, p. 101 Elm.).
  1. B. Trop., back, as to time, former, earlier; so only in comp.: retrosior, older, Tert. Apol. 19.
    Hence, adv., in four forms: retrorsum (the predom. one, class.), retrorsus, retrovorsum, and retroversus, back, backwards, behind.
  1. I. Lit.
          1. (α) Form rē̆trōrsum: me vestigia terrent, Omnia te adversum spectantia, nulla retrorsum, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 75: vela dare, id. C. 1, 34, 3; cf.: mutata te ferat aura, id. Ep. 1, 18, 88: rejectae Hannibalis minae, id. C. 4, 8, 16; cf. redire, Plin. 9, 31, 51, § 99.
          2. (β) Form rē̆trōrsus: dare terga metu, Val. Fl. 3, 268: cedentem, Sil. 11, 513; App. M. 3, p. 143, 39.
          3. (γ) Form rē̆trōvorsum: cedam, imitabor nepam, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Non. 145, 14; Macr. S. 1, 17.
          4. (δ) Form rē̆trōversus: colonia crescit tamquam coda vituli, Petr. 44, 12.
  2. II. Trop.
        1. a. In time, back, before, earlier (jurid. Lat.): retrorsus ad id tempus, etc., Dig. 15, 1, 32 fin.: retrorsum se actio refert, ib. 13, 5, 18.
        2. b. In other relations, back, backwards, in return, in reversed order.
          1. (α) Form rē̆trōr-sum: ex terrā aqua, ex aquā oritur aer, ex aëre aether; deinde retrorsum vicissim ex aethere aër, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 33, 84 (cf. the like use of retro, Lucr. 1, 785): ut viros ac feminas, diem ac noctem dicas potius, quam retrorsum, Quint. 9, 4, 23; 7, 1, 25: quaedam et retrorsum idem valent, id. 5, 9, 6: sed omnia retrorsum, Flor. 4, 12, 25.
          2. (β) Form rē̆trōrsus: ac si retrorsus homo mihi venisset, Dig. 44, 3, 6, § 1.