νῶτον

νῶτον, τό, or νῶτος, ὁ, pl. always νῶτα, τά in early writers (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, 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. :—A. back, both cf 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. 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.)