Lewis & Short

dis-tĭnĕo, tĭnŭi, tentum, 2, v. a. [teneo].

  1. I. To keep asunder, to separate, divide.
    1. A. Lit.: tigna binis utrimque fibulis ab extrema parte distinebantur, Caes. B. G. 4, 17, 7; Vitr. 3, 3: mare, quod late terrarum distinet oras, Lucr. 5, 203; 5, 690: duo freta Isthmos, Ov. H. 8, 69 Heins.; cf. id. ib. 12, 104; Luc. 4, 675: quem Notus spatio longius annuo Dulci distinet a domo, Hor. C. 4, 5, 12.
    2. B. Trop., to divide mentally; to distract, perplex: distineor et divellor dolore, Cic. Planc. 33, 79: duae factiones senatum distinebant, Liv. 9, 16, 6; cf. id. 5, 20, 4; Tac. H. 1, 32: unanimos, Liv. 7, 21: ancipiti bello distinere regem, id. 44, 20.
      Esp. freq.,
  2. II. In gen., to hold off, keep back, keep asunder, hinder, detain, prevent; to occupy, engage, employ, divert: legiones a praesidio interclusas maximum flumen distinebat, Caes. B. G. 7, 59, 5: manus hostium, id. ib. 2, 5, 2: manum, id. ib. 3, 11, 4; id. B. C. 3, 52, 1: copias Caesaris, id. ib. 3, 44, 2: Volscos, Liv. 4, 59: Parthos Hyrcano bello, Tac. A. 14, 25: Britannicum militem hoste et mari, id. H. 2, 32 et saep.: in multitudine judiciorum et novis legibus distineri, Cic. Fam. 7, 2 fin.; cf. id. ib. 12, 30, 2; id. Att. 2, 23: distineri litibus, Nep. Att. 9, 4: ad omnia tuenda multifariam distineri, Liv. 21, 8: quominus strueret crimina distineri, Tac. A. 11, 12.
    1. B. Transf., of inanimate objects: pacem, to hinder, prevent, Cic. Phil. 12, 12, 28; Liv. 2, 15 fin.: victoriam, Caes. B. G. 7, 37, 3: rem, Liv. 37, 12.
      Hence, distentus, a, um, P. a., engaged, busied, occupied: tot tantisque negotiis, Cic. Rosc. Am. 8, 22; id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 3; Plin. Ep. 6, 18, 1 al.: te distentissimum esse qua de Buthrotiis, qua de Bruto, Cic. Att. 15, 18: circa summa scelera, Tac. A. 16, 8 fin.
      Of abstract subjects: mens divina, Cic. N. D. 3, 39 fin.: tempus distentum impeditumque maximis officiis, Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 7.
      Comp. and adv. seem not to occur.