A backe doore: a posterne gate. Postico recedere. Hor. To steale away by a backe doore. Postico falle clientem. Horat.

That dwelleth ou the backe side that is behind vs. Proripuit so postica parte palatij. Suet. By the backe fide of the pallaice. Postica pars mundi. Plin. Postica sanna. Pers. A scoffe or mocke behind ones backe. Postica linea. A line diuiding the fieldes from the East to the West. And in diuision of landes, that part which is toward the East, is called Antica, and that is toward the West Postica. In the firmament, that is from the sunne toward the South is Antica, and toward the North Postica Festus.

I. That is behind, hinder, back-, posterior (class., but not in Cic. or Cæs.): est etiam hic ostium aliud posticum nostrarum aedium, backdoor, Plaut. Stich. 3, 1, 40; cf.: posticum ostium dicitur in posteriore parte aedium. Ceterum antiqui etiam vicinum habitantem ad posteriorem partem aedium sic appellarunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 220 Müll.: locus erat posticis aedium partibus, Liv. 23, 8: perrexit in interiores partes domuis posticae, of the backbuilding, out - house, Varr. ap. Non. 217, 7: domo posticā egressus, Val. Max. 5, 7, 3: muri, Varr. L. L. 5, 42 Müll.: vicinus, v. Paul. ex Fest. l. l.: non peperit, verum posticā parte profudit, with the posteriors, Lucil. ap. Non. 217, 17: sannae, made behind the back, Pers. 1, 62: pedes, hind feet, Sol. 26: pars palatii, Suet. Oth. 6: posticam lineam in agris dividendis Serv. Sulpicius appellavit, ab exoriente sole ad occidentem quae spectabat, Fest. p. 233 Müll.: quae ante nos sunt, antica: et quae post nos sunt, postica dicuntur: et dextram anticam, sinistram posticam dicimus. Sic etiam ea caeli pars, quae sole illustratur ad meridiem, antica nominatur, quae ad septentrionem postica, Paul. ex Fest. p. 220 Müll.; cf.: ejus templi partes quattuor dicuntur: sinistra ab oriente, dextra ab occasu, antica ad meridiem, postica ad septentrionem, Varr. L. L. 7, 7 Müll.—

II. Subst.

A. postīca, ae, f., a backdoor (post-class.), App. M. 9, p. 217, 25; Dig. 7, 1, 13.—

B. postīcum, i, n.

1. A backdoor (the prevailing form for this signif.): per posticum se conferre, Plaut. Most. 3, 3, 27: atria servantem postico falle clientem, Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 31; Vulg. Dan. 13, 18.—

2. The back part of a building, the rear front, Titin. ap. Non. 217, 19: in pronao, et postico, Vitr. 3, 1.—

3. A backhouse, privy (anteclass.), Lucil. ap. Non. 217, 20.—

4. The posteriors, the fundament (ante- and postclass.): retrimenta cibi, quae exierunt per posticum, Varr. ap. Non. 217, 24; also in plur., Arn. 2, 54.