νῶτον

νῶτον, τό, or νῶτος, ὁ, pl. always νῶτα, τά in early writers (οἱ νῶτοι LXX 3 Ki. 7.19(33)): the gender of the sg. is undetermined in Hom. and Hes.; neut. in Pi. P. 1.28, 4.83, E. Cyc. 237, 643, Ar. Eq. 289, Pax 747, Antiph. 132.6 (anap.), and always in Att. acc. to Phryn. 257, etc.: acc. νῶτον is masc. in Hp. Prorrh. 2. 30, 40, X. Eq. 3.3 (as cited by Hdn.Gr. 1.215), Arist. HA 512b17, 544a6, Ephor. 224J.:—

• back, both of men and animals: sg., of a man, Il. 5.147, 13.289, etc.; of a boar, φρίσσει νῶτον ib. 473; ν. . . ὄϊος καὶ πίονος αἰγός 9.207; of horses, ἐπὶ νῶτον ἐῗσαι 2.765; of an eagle, Pi. P. 1.9: pl. freq. used in Poets in sense of sg., δράκων ἐπὶ νῶτα δαφοινός Il. 2.308, cf. Od. 6.225, etc.: sts. in Ep. of the chine of an animal served as food, νῶτα βοὸς . . πίονα ib. 4.65; νώτοισιν δʼ Ὀδυσῆα διηνεκέεσσι γέραιρεν 14.437, cf. Il. 7.321; of men in battle, τὰ νῶτα ἐντρέψαι to turn the back, i.e. flee, Hdt. 7.211; νῶτον ἐπιστρέψαι Orac.ib. 141; σὺ μὴ δῷς ν. μηδενί PTeb. 21.8 (ii B. C.); δοτέον τὰ ν. Plu. An seni 2.787f; δεῖξαι νῶτα Id. Marc. 12 (this phrase also of the winner in a race, AP 9.557 (Antip. Thess.)); πίπτειν ἐπὶ νώτῳ A. Supp. 91 (lyr.); κατὰ νώτου in rear, κατὰ νώτου γενέσθαι τινός Hdt. 1.9, 10; τὸ στρατόπεδον κατὰ ν. λαβεῖν ib. 75; κατὰ ν. βοηθεῖν Th. 1.62, etc.; κατὰ νῶτα Theoc. 22.84; back of the finger, Procop.Gaz. Ecphr. 168.11.
• • II metaph., any wide surface, esp. of the sea, ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης Il. 2.159, Od. 3.142, cf. Hes. Th. 762; ἐν νώτοισι ποντίας ἁλός E. Hel. 129; πόντου ʼπὶ νώτοις ib. 774; also of the land, σχίζε ν. γᾶς Pi. P. 4.228, cf. 26; χθονὸς ν. E. IT 46; of the sky, ἀστεροειδέα ν. αἰθέρος Id. Fr. 114ap. Ar. Th. 1067 (lyr.); ἐπὶ τῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ν. Pl. Phdr. 247c; but ἕσπερα ν. the evening, i.e. western, sky, E. El. 731 (lyr.).
  • • 2 ridge of a hill or rock, Pi. O. 7.87, E. Hipp. 128 (lyr.); of a tomb, Id. Hel. 842, etc.; of a chariot, Id. Tr. 572 (anap.); of a saw, AP 6.204 (Leon.).
    • 3 nave of a wheel, LXX l.c.
    • 4 back of a page, Gal. 15.624; τὰ κατὰ νώτου POxy. 1725.9 (iii A.D.). (Perh. cf. Lat. nates.)

νῶτον, τό, s. νῶτος.

νῶτον

-ου, τό.

• • 1

    The back : οὐκ ἂν ἐν αὐχένι πέσοι βέλος οὐδʼ ἐνὶ νώτῳ Il. 13.289. Cf. Il. 5.147, Il. 20.279, Il. 21.69, Il. 23.714 : Od. 17.463.

    Of horses Il. 2.765.

    Of sheep Od. 9.441.

    Of a wild boar Il. 13.473.

    The back of an animal cut off for use as food, the chine Il. 9.207 : Od. 8.475.

    In pl., app., slices cut from the back : νώτοισι γέραιρεν Il. 7.321 : Od. 14.437. Cf. Od. 4.65.

  • 2

    In pl. in sing. sense : μετὰ νῶτα βαλών Il. 8.94. Cf. Il. 13.547, Il. 20.414 : Od. 6.225.

    Of a ram Od. 9.433.

    Of a deer Od. 10.161.

    Of a serpent Il. 2.308.

    Of the surface of the sea : ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης Il. 2.159, Il. 8.511, Il. 20.228 : Od. 3.142, Od. 4.313, 362, 560= Od. 5.17 = 142= Od. 17.146.

νῶτον (-ῳ, -ον; -ων, -οισιν, -α.)

• • a back
  • • α of a person. στρωμνὰ δὲ χαράσσοισʼ ἅπαν νῶτον ποτικεκλιμένον κεντεῖ sc. the back of Typhon, buried beneath Mt. Etna P. 1.28 πλόκαμοι ἅπαν νῶτον καταίθυσσον of Jason P. 4.83 ἄνδρας πτεροῖσιν νῶτα πεφρίκοντας P. 4.183 ἑκόντι δʼ ἐγὼ νώτῳ μεθέπων δίδυμον ἄχθος N. 6.57 ἐκ δὲ Πελλάνας (sc. ἀπέβαν) ἐπιεσσάμενοι νῶτον μαλακαῖσι κρόκαις N. 10.44 pl. pro s., δουρὶ Περικλυμένου πρὶν νῶτα τυπέντα μαχατὰν θυμὸν αἰσχυνθῆμεν N. 9.26, cf. Πα. 6. 139 infra.
    • β of an eagle. ὁ δὲ κνώσσων ὑγρὸν νῶτον αἰωρεῖ P. 1.9
  • b of land
  • • α expanse, surface “φέρομεν νώτων ὕπερ γαίας ἐρήμων ἐννάλιον δόρυ” P. 4.26 ἀνὰ βωλακίας δʼ ὀρόγυιαν σχίζε νῶτον γᾶς Jason, while ploughing P. 4.228
    • β ridge ὦ Ζεῦ πάτερ, νώτοισιν Ἀταβυρίου μεδέων O. 7.87 met., of person and place, τότε χρύσεαι ἀέρος ἔκρυψαν κόμαι ἐπιχώριον κατάσκιον νῶτον ὑμέτερον of Aigina, nymph and island Pae. 6.139

νῶτον : back, of meat, back - piece, chine, Il. 9.207, pl., Il. 7.321; fig., εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης.

νῶτον, ου, τό,

• • Ithe back, Lat. tergum, Il.; often in pl., like Lat. terga, Hom.; τὰ νῶτα ἐντρέπειν, ἐπιστρέφειν to turn the back, i. e. flee, Hdt.; νῶτα δεῖξαι Plut.; κατὰ νώτου from behind, in rear, Hdt., Thuc. pl. always νῶτα, τά
  • IImetaph. any wide surface, ἐπʼ εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης Hom.; of plains, Pind., Eur.
  • • 2the back or ridge, of a hill, Pind., Eur.; of a chariot, Eur.