recto-and-verso
|rec-to-and-ver-so|
🇺🇸
/ˌrɛktoʊ-ænd-ˈvɜrsoʊ/
🇬🇧
/ˌrɛktəʊ-ænd-ˈvɜːsəʊ/
both sides (front and back) of a page
Etymology
'recto' and 'verso' originate from Latin. 'recto' comes from Latin 'rectus' meaning 'right' or 'straight', while 'verso' comes from Latin 'versus' meaning 'turned'.
'recto' passed into Medieval/Modern European usage (via Italian/Medieval Latin 'recto') to denote the front (the right-hand) side of a leaf; 'verso' passed via Italian/Medieval Latin 'verso' from Latin 'versus' to denote the turned (back) side. The paired phrase 'recto and verso' became established in bibliographic and printing contexts in English.
Initially, 'rectus' and 'versus' referred generally to 'right/straight' and 'turned'; over time these terms specialized to mean the front and back sides of a sheet (the current usage).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the two sides of a leaf of paper or a sheet: the recto (front) and the verso (back) considered together.
The archive stores both recto-and-verso images of each manuscript page.
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Adjective 1
printed or written on both the recto and the verso of a sheet; two-sided (often used in description of printing or copying).
Please submit recto-and-verso copies of the forms.
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Last updated: 2025/12/25 19:41