retroverting
|re-tro-vert-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˌrɛtrəˈvɝtɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌrɛtrəˈvɜːtɪŋ/
(retrovert)
turn back
Etymology
'retrovert' originates from Latin, specifically the compound of 'retro' meaning 'back' and 'vertere' meaning 'to turn'.
'retrovert' comes from Late Latin 'retrovertere' (from Latin components 'retro-' + 'vertere'), passed into New Latin/medical Latin and later into English as 'retrovert' and derivatives like 'retroversion' and 'retroverting'.
Initially it meant 'to turn back' in the literal sense; over time the core sense 'turning backward' was preserved and extended into medical and figurative uses such as an organ tilting backward or reverting to an earlier state.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to turn or cause to turn backward; to direct something toward the back or rear.
The surgeon described retroverting the instrument slightly to improve the view of the cavity, retroverting carefully to avoid damage.
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Verb 2
(medical) To cause an organ (especially the uterus) to tilt or be positioned backward (opposite of antevert).
Retroverting the uterus may change the presentation of symptoms; the clinician noted retroverting during the pelvic exam.
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Last updated: 2025/10/06 20:48