νῶτον

English (LSJ)

τό, or νῶτος, ὁ, pl. always νῶτα, τά in early writers (

   A οἱ νῶτοι LXX 3 Ki.7.19(33)) : the gender of thesg. is undetermined in Hom. and Hes. ; neut. in Pi.P.1.28, 4.83, E.Cyc.237, 643, Ar.Eq.289, Pax747, Antiph.132.6 (anap.), and always in Att. acc. to Phryn. 257, etc. : acc. νῶτον is masc. in Hp.Prorrh.2.<*>0,40, X.Eq.3.3 (as cited by Hdn.Gr.1.215), Arist.HA512b17, 544a6, Ephor.224J. :—back, both cf men and animals : sg., of a man, Il.5.147, 13.289, etc. ; of a boar, φρίσσεινῶτον 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 δ' 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 ; σν μὴ δῷς ν. μηδενί PTeb.21.8 (ii B. C.) ; δοτέον τὰ ν. Plu.2.787f ; δεῖξαι νῶτα Id.Marc.12 (this phrase also of the winner in a race, AP9.557 (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, ἐπ' εὐρέα νῶτα θαλάσσης Il.2.159, Od.3.142, cf. Hes.Th.762 ; ἐν νώτοισι ποντίας ἁλός E.Hel.129 ; πόντου 'πὶ νώτοις ib.774 ; also of the land, σχίζε ν. γᾶς Pi.P.4.228, cf. 26 ; χθονὸς ν. E.IT46 ; 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, AP6.204 (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. νᾰτες.)