Lewis & Short

dē-torquĕo, si, tum (detorsum, v. infra no. 1. A. 2.), 2, v. a. and n.

  1. I. Act., to turn or bend aside, to turn off, turn away (class.).
    1. A. In gen.
      1. 1. Lit.: ponticulum, Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 59: cornua (antennarum), Verg. A. 5, 832: habenas, id. ib. 11, 765: lumen ab illā, Ov. M. 6, 515 et saep.
        Poet.: vulnus, Verg. A. 9, 746.
        1. b. With in or ad and acc., to turn in any direction, to direct towards: (orbis partem) a latere in dextram partem, Cic. Univ. 7 fin.; so, caudam in dexterum, in laevum, Plin. 8, 51, 77, § 207: proram ad undas, Verg. A. 5, 165: cursus ad regem, id. ib. 4, 196: cervicem ad oscula, Hor. Od. 2, 12, 25 et saep.
      2. 2. Trop.: voluptates animos a virtute, Cic. Off. 2, 10, 37: quae (sc. voluntas testium) nullo negotio flecti ac detorqueri potest, id. Cael. 9 fin.; id. de Or. 1, 17.
        Of etymolog. derivation: Marrucini vocantur, de Marso detorsum nomen, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 871 P.; so, parce detorta, Hor. A. P. 53.
        With indication of the term. ad quem: aliquem ad segnitiem luxumque, Plin. Pan. 82, 6: vividum animum in alia, Tac. A. 13, 3; cf.: te pravum alio (i. e. ad aliud vitium), Hor. S. 2, 2, 55.
    2. B. In partic., to turn or twist out of shape, to distort.
      1. 1. Lit.: partes corporis detortae, Cic. Tusc. 3, 5, 17: Vatinius corpore detorto, Tac. A. 15, 34.
      2. 2. Trop., to distort, misrepresent: calumniando omnia detorquendoque suspecta efficere, Liv. 42, 42; cf.: recte facta (with carpere), Plin. Ep. 1, 8, 6: sincera rectaque ingenia, id. Pan. 70, 5; cf. Tac. Or. 28 fin.: verbum aliquod in pejus, Sen. Ep. 13 med.; cf.: verba, voltus in crimen, Tac. A. 1, 7: sermonem in obscenum intellectum, Quint. 8, 3, 44.
  2. * II. Neutr., to turn or go in any direction: in laevam, Plin. 28, 8, 27, § 93.