Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

dis-tendo (and vulg. distenno), di, tum (in late Lat. also distensus, Coripp. Joann. 7, 324; but in Auct. B. Alex. 45, 2, the right reading is dispersis), 3, v. a., to stretch asunder, stretch out, extend (not freq. till after the Aug. per.; not in Cic.).

  1. I. Lit.: dispennite hominem divorsum et distennite, Plaut. Mil. 5, 14; cf.: Tityos novem Jugeribus distentus erat, Ov. M. 4, 458: brachia, id. ib. 4, 491: corpus temonibus, Col. 6, 19 fin.: aciem, * Caes. B. C. 3, 92, 2; cf.: copias hostium, Liv. 2, 23: hostes, id. 34, 29: sagum, Suet. Oth. 2: in currus distentum illigat Mettum, Liv. 1, 28; so, utramque manum in latus, Quint. 11, 3, 114: pontem in agros, Lue. 4, 140.
    Pass. in mid. force: haec per octoginta sex milia distenduntur, extend, Mart. Cap. 6, § 661.
    1. B. Meton.
      1. 1. (Effectus pro causa.) To swell out, distend, i. e. to fill, e. g. with food: ventres, Plaut. Cas. 4, 1, 19: ubera cytiso, Verg. E. 9, 31; cf.: ubera lacte, id. ib. 4, 21; and transf.: capellas lacte, id. ib. 7, 3: ducem (i. e. bovem) denso pingui, id. G. 3, 124: cellas nectare, id. A. 1, 433; cf.: horrea plena spicis, Tib. 2, 5, 84.
      2. 2. (Causa pro effectu.) To torture by distention: tormento aliquem, Suet. Tib. 62; cf. Vulg. Heb. 11, 35.
  2. II. Trop.: velut in duo pariter bella curas hominum, to divide, Liv. 27, 40; cf.: curam vilicae, Col. 12, 46, 1: sedulitatem vilici, id. 1, 6, 8: animos, to distract, perplex, Liv. 9, 12 fin.; Vulg. Eccl. 3, 10.
    Hence, distentus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to I. B. 1.), distended, i. e. filled up, full: ubera, Hor. Epod. 2, 46; cf.: distentum cruribus uber, Ov. M. 13, 826: distentius uber, Hor. S. 1, 1, 110: distentus ac madens, stuffed full, Suet. Claud. 33; cf. Plin. Pan. 49, 6.