retroverted
|re-tro-vert-ed|
🇺🇸
/ˌrɛtrəˈvɜrt/
🇬🇧
/ˌrɛtrəˈvɜːt/
(retrovert)
turn back
Etymology
'retroverted' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'retrovertere', where the prefix 'retro-' meant 'backward' and 'vertere' meant 'to turn'.
'retroverted' entered modern English via Late Latin/New Latin usage (medical and scientific contexts) from Latin 'retrovertere' and the related form 'retroversus', eventually appearing in English as the verb 'retrovert' and its participle 'retroverted'.
Initially it meant 'to turn backward' in a general sense; over time it became especially used in medical contexts to mean 'tilted or positioned backward' (for example, of the uterus).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'retrovert' (to turn or tilt backward).
The surgeon retroverted the displaced uterus during the operation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
turned or tilted backward; (medical) positioned with the top tipped toward the posterior (e.g., a retroverted uterus).
She was diagnosed with a retroverted uterus during the pelvic exam.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/06 19:31