Lewis & Short

con-torquĕo, torsi, tortum (also -torsum, acc. to Prisc. 9, p. 871 P.), 2, v. a., to turn, twist, twirl, swing, whirl or brandish, etc. (class. in prose and poetry).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Of weapons, arms, etc. (mostly poet.): telum contortum validis viribus, Lucr. 1, 971; cf.: hastam viribus, Ov. M. 5, 32: lenta spicula lacertis, Verg. A. 7, 165: hastile adducto lacerto, id. ib. 11, 561: cuspidem lacerto, Ov. M. 8, 345: valido sceptrum lacerto, id. ib. 5, 422: (hastile) certo contorquens dirigit ictu, Verg. A. 12, 490: sed magnum stridens contorta phalarica venit, id. ib. 9, 705: hastam In latus, etc., id. ib. 2, 52; Quint. 9, 4, 8: telum in eum, Curt. 8, 14, 36.
    2. B. Of other objects: gubernaclum quolibet, Lucr. 4, 904; cf.: membra quocumque volt, Cic. Div. 1, 53, 120: tantum corpus, Lucr. 4, 900: globum eā celeritate, etc., Cic. N. D. 1, 10, 24; id. Arat. 61: equum magnā vi, Poët. ap. Quint. 8, 6, 9: amnis in alium cursum contortos et deflexos videmus, Cic. Div. 1, 19, 38: proram ad laevas undas, Verg. A. 3, 562: silvas insano vortice, whirling them round in its raging whirlpool, id. G. 1, 481; cf. * Cat. 64, 107: frementes aquas subitis verticibus, Luc. 4, 102 Weber; cf. id. 3, 631; Sil. 3, 50: an omnis tempestas aeque mare illud contorqueat, Sen. Ep. 79, 1 al.: vertex est contorta in se aqua, Quint. 8, 2, 7: nubila fumo, Sil. 4, 309.
  2. II. Trop. (mostly in Cic. and of rhet. matters; the metaphor taken from missiles which are brandished, that they may be discharged with greater force): (auditor) tamquam machinatione aliquā tum ad severitatem, tum ad remissionem animi est contorquendus, Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72.
    So of discourse that is thrown out violently or forcibly, hurled: Demosthenis non tam vibrarent fulmina illa, nisi numeris contorta ferrentur, Cic. Or. 70, 234; cf. Quint. 10, 7, 14: quam rhetorice! quam copiose! quas sententias colligit! quae verba contorquet! ( = summā vi et impetu profert), hurls forth, Cic. Tusc. 3, 26, 63; cf.: longas periodos uno spiritu, Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 4: deinde contorquent et ita concludunt, etc., twist the argument, Cic. Div. 2, 51, 106.
    Hence, contortus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to II.), of discourse.
    1. A. Brandished, hurled, full of motion, powerful, vehement, energetic, strong (rare; mostly in Cic.): contorta et acris oratio, Cic. Or. 20, 66: vis (orationis), Quint. 10, 7, 14: levibus mulcentur et contortis excitantur, id. 9, 4, 116.
    2. B. Involved, intricate, obscure, perplexed, complicated: contortae et difficiles res, Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 250: contorta et aculeata quaedam σοφίσματα, id. Ac. 2, 24, 75.
      Adv.: con-tortē (acc. to II.), intricately, perplexedly: dicere, Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 29; Auct. Her. 1, 9, 15.
      * Comp.: concluduntur a Stoicis, Cic. Tusc. 3, 10, 22.
      Sup. not in use.