Lewis & Short

di-stinguo, nxi, nctum, 3, v. a. [root in Sanscr. tegami, to be sharp; Gr. στίζω, στίγμα; Lat. stimulus stilus, in-stigare, etc.].
Prop., to separate by points; hence, in gen.,

  1. I. To separate, divide, part.
    1. A. Lit. (very rare, and almost exclusively poet.): onus inclusum numero eodem, Ov. M. 1, 47: crinem docta manu, i. e. to arrange, Sen. Troad. 884; cf. meton.: caput acu, Claud. Nupt. Hon. 284.
      Of countries: qui locus Bithyniam et Galatis, Amm. 25, 10.
      Far more freq. and class. (not in Caes.),
    2. B. Trop., to distinguish, discriminate, = discernere.
      1. 1. In gen.: ea (crimina) distinguere ac separare, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 41; cf. with dividere, id. Pis. 28, 69: servos numero, id. Caecin. 20; so, cadentes guttas intervallis, id. de Or. 3, 48, 186: oratorum genera aetatibus, id. Brut. 19: status familiarum agnationibus, id. Leg. 1, 7 fin.: qua via ambigua distinguantur, ostendit, id. Fin. 1, 7; id. Brut. 41, 152; id. Or. 4, 16; cf. secernenda, id. Top. 7, 31: genera causarum, Quint. 4, 2, 68 et saep.: fortes ignavosque, Tac. H. 3, 27: veri similia ab incredibilibus dijudicare et distinguere, Cic. Part. 40; cf.: vera somnia a falsis, id. Div. 2, 61: Vargulam a Crasso, id. de Or. 2, 60, 244: artificem ab inscio, id. Ac. 2, 7, 22: voluntatem a facto, Liv. 45, 24: thesin a causa, Quint. 3, 5, 11 et saep.: vero falsum, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 29: simiarum genera caudis inter se, Plin. 8, 54, 80.
        Pass. impers.: quid inter naturam et rationem intersit, non distinguitur, Cic. N. D. 3, 10, 26; cf.: malus arborem significet an hominem non bonum, apice distinguitur, Quint. 1, 7, 2: nuntiatum Claudio perisse Messalinam, non distincto sua an aliena manu, Tac. A. 11, 38.
      2. 2. In partic.
          1. (α) In rhet. and gram., to mark the pauses in discourse, to punctuate: puer ut sciat, quo loco versum distinguere debeat, Quint. 1, 8, 1; cf.: eam (orationem) distinguent atque concident, id. 11, 2, 27; and: incidit has (sc. voces) et distinxit in partes, Cic. Rep. 3, 2 Mos.: distinctio est silentii nota, etc., Diom. p. 432 P.
          2. (β) To end, terminate: contationem, App. M. 2, p. 127 fin.
  2. II. To set off, decorate, adorn (most freq. in the P. a.).
    1. A. Lit.: racemos purpureo colore, Hor. C. 2, 5, 11; so, poma vario colore, Ov. Nux, 31: aurum gemmarum nitor, Sen. Med. 573; cf. Plin. 37, 10, 62, § 171.
    2. B. Trop.: orationem variare et distinguere quasi quibusdam verborum sententiarumque insignibus, Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36; so of discourse, id. Inv. 2, 15, 49 (with illustrare); id. de Or. 2, 13; Liv. 9, 17: voluptatem (with variare), Cic. Fin. 1, 11, 38; cf.: coenam comoedis, Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 9.
      Hence, distinctus, a, um, P. a.
    1. A. (Acc. to I.) Separated, separate, distinct: urbs delubris distincta spatiisque communibus, Cic. Rep. 1, 26: Romana acies distinctior, ex pluribus partibus constans, Liv. 9, 19: Hesiodus circa CXX. annos distinctus ab Homeri aetate, Vell. 1, 7: concentus ex distinctis sonis, Cic. Rep. 2, 42; cf. id. ib. 6, 18: distinctos dignitatis gradus non habebat (civitas), id. ib. 1, 27 fin.
      1. 2. Of discourse, properly divided: oratio, Quint. 11, 3, 35.
    2. B. (Acc. to II.) Decorated, adorned: pocula gemmis distincta, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 27: distinctum et ornatum caelum astris, id. N. D. 2, 37 fin.: lyra gemmis et dentibus Indis, Ov. M. 11, 167: herbae innumeris floribus, id. ib. 5, 266: retia maculis, id. H. 5, 19.
      1. 2. Trop.: oratio et ornata et artificio quodam et expolitione distincta, id. de Or. 1, 12; so of discourse, Quint. 5, 14, 33; and transf., of the speaker himself: utroque genere creber et distinctus Cato, Cic. Brut. 17 fin.; cf. in comp., Tac. Or. 18.
        Adv.: distincte.
      1. 1. (Acc. to I.) Distinctly, clearly: articulatim distincteque dicere, Cic. Leg. 1, 13, 36; id. Or. 28 fin.: scribere, id. Tusc. 2, 3, 7: designare, Plin. Pan. 88, 6.
        In the comp.: enuntiare, id. Ep. 7, 13.
        Sup.: distinctissime persuadere, Cassiod. Complex ad Ephes. 3.
      2. 2. (Acc. to II.) Elegantly, handsomely: qui distincte, qui explicate, qui abundanter, qui illuminate et rebus et verbis dicunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 53; cf. id. Off. 1, 1, 2: distinctius, Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 1.