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.

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.