This adjective describes a position or fall with the face downward, headlong, or prone—the opposite of falling backward (supine). In Acts 1:18, it describes how Judas fell after his suicide, though textual issues make the exact scenario debated. The term emphasizes the downward, forward orientation of the fall. Ancient medical and athletic contexts used this for describing body positions, but here it contributes to the grim details of Judas' violent end.