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 , Pax 747 , 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. HA 512b17 , 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, 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, 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. IT 46 ; of the sky, ἀστεροειδέα ν. αἰθέρος Id. Fr. 114a p. 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. νᾰτε’ς.)