μετωπ-ηδόν

μετωπ-ηδόν, Adv.

A with front foremost; of ships, forming a close front, in line, Hdt.7.100; opp. ἐπὶ κέρως (in column), Th.2.90;

μ. ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἔφοδον Plb.11.22.10

, cf.Ph.2.354, Plu.Lys.10.

Grammatical information: n.

Meaning: `the space between the eyes, forehead, brow', metaph. `front, front of an army' (Il.); also plantname = χαλβάνη (Dsc.).

Compounds: Compp., e.g. εὑρυ-μέτωπος `with broad forehead' (Hom.).

Derivatives: μετώπιος `on the forehead' (L 95, P 739; can also be subst. = `forehead'; s. below), - ιον n. `front' (Priene IV<sup>a</sup>), `fore-head-bandage etc.' (Gal.), name of a salve prepared from the plant μ. etc. (Dsc., Gal.); μετωπ-ίδιος `of the forehead' (Hp., A P), but προ-, περιμετωπ-ίδιος `on the forehead' (Hdt., X.), resp. `covering the forehead' (Hp.) from the corresponding prepositional terms; - ιαῖος `id.' (medic.; Chantraine Form. 49); - ίας m. `with a typical forehead' (pap.); μετωπίς ἱατρικὸς ἐπίδεσμος H.; μετωπ-ηδόν (Hdt., Th.), - ᾰδόν (Opp.) `forming a front'. -- To the PN Μέτωπος Sommer Nominalkomp. 8 n. 2.

Origin: GR [a formation built with Greek elements]

Etymology: After Arist. HA 49 1b 12 prop. = μεταξὺ τῶν ὀμμάτων, `space between the eyes', so hypostasis from μετά and (ὤψ), ὦπ-α `eye, face' with themat. vowel. μετώπ-ιον `forehead (?), front' may be a parallel formation with ιο-suffix. The expression becomes esp. clear, if one starts from the head of an animal with his eyes on the sides (Sommer 115 n. 1).

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