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.

1. obstrictus, a, um, Part. and P. a., from obstringo.

† 2. obstrictus, ūs, m. [obstringo], a binding, clasping: accendat flammam ipso obstrictu (al. affrictu), Sen. Q. N. 5, 14, 4.

ob-stringo, strinxi, strictum, 3, v. a.

  1. I. To bind to or about; to bind, tie, or fasten up (rare): follem obstringit ob gulam, Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 23: quom ego Amphitruonem collo hinc obstricto traham, id. Am. 3, 2, 72: cervice obstrictā, Juv. 10, 88: tauros aratro, to yoke, Val. Fl. 7, 602.
  2. II. To bind, bind up, close up by binding.
      1. 1. Lit. (rare): laqueo collum, Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 12.
      2. 2. Transf.
          1. (α) To shut in, confine: ventos, Hor. C. 1, 3, 4: viminibus, Col. 4, 29.
          2. (β) To hold together by: purpurea vestis ingentibus obstricta gemmis, in which precious stones were the fastenings, Flor. 4, 11, 3.
  3. III. Trop., to bind, tie, fetter, hamper; to oblige, lay under obligation (the class. signif. of the word; syn.: obligo, devincio): donis aliquem obstringere, Cic. Clu. 66, 190: civitatem jurejurando, Caes. B. G. 1, 31: legibus, Cic. Inv. 2, 45, 132: foedere, id. Pis. 13, 29: aliquem aere alieno, to bring into debt, id. Fam. 11, 10, 5: jurejurando, to bind by an oath, Tac. A. 1, 14: animam suam, Vulg. Num. 30, 9: quam plurimas civitates suo sibi beneficio habere obstrictas volebat, bound, under obligation, Caes. B. G. 1, 9: Atticum officiis, Cic. Fam. 3, 18, 2: qui se tot sceleribus obstrinxerit, has been guilty of so many crimes, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 3, § 8: se parricidio, to commit, perpetrate, id. Phil. 11, 12, 29: se perjurio, Liv. 26, 48: aliquem conscientiā, to bind by privity, by participation, Tac. H. 4, 55: obstringi conscientiā tanti sceleris, ne, etc., to be hindered by the sense of so great a crime, from, etc., Liv. 4, 17, 5: aliquem societate scelerum, Tac. A. 4, 57: fidem suam alicui, to pledge one’s word, to promise positively, Plin. 7, 1, 1, § 8; Plin. Ep. 4, 13, 11; cf. Just. 2, 15, 14.
    Mid.: qui alienum … sustulit, furti obstringitur, makes himself guilty, becomes guilty, Sabin. ap. Gell. 11, 18, 21: eidem sceleri obstrictus est, Lact. 3, 18, 6.
    Hence, obstrictus, a, um, P. a.; according to III., bound, obliged.
    Comp.: obstrictior Debitor, Paul. Nol. Nat. Felic. 9, 145.
    Hence, obstrictē, adv.; comp.: obstrictius, more stringently, Aug. Civ. Dei, 2, 24.