Lewis & Short

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torquĕo, torsi, tortum, 2 (archaic inf. torquerier, Hor. S. 2, 8, 67), v. a. [Gr. τρέπω, to turn; cf. ἀτρεκής; also Sanscr. tarkus; Gr. ἄτρακτος, a spindle; and στρέφω, to twist], to turn, turn about or away; to twist, bend, wind (class.; syn. converto).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: cervices oculosque, Cic. Leg. 2, 15, 39: oculum, to roll, distort, id. Ac. 2, 25, 80: ora, to twist awry, id. Off. 1, 36, 131: ab obscenis sermonibus aurem, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 127: oculos ad moenia, Verg. A. 4, 220: ad sonitum vocis vestigia, id. ib. 3, 669: serpens squamosos orbes Torquet, Ov. M. 3, 42; cf. anguis, Verg. G. 3, 38: capillos ferro, i. e. to curl, frizzle, Ov. A. A. 1, 505: stamina pollice, id. M. 12, 475: remis aquas, id. F. 5, 644: spumas, Verg. A. 3, 208: taxos in arcus, to bend, id. G. 2, 448: tegumen torquens immane leonis, winding about him, id. A. 7, 666: cum terra circum axem se convertat et torqueat, Cic. Ac. 2, 39, 123: torta circum bracchia vestis, Tac. H. 5, 22.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To whirl around, to whirl in the act of throwing, to wield, brandish, to fling with force, to hurl (mostly poet.): torquet nunc lapidem, nunc ingens machina tignum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 73: amnis torquet sonantia saxa, Verg. A. 6, 551: stuppea torquentem Balearis verbera fundae, id. G. 1, 309: jaculum in hostem, id. A. 10, 585; Ov. M. 12, 323: hastam in hunc, id. ib 5, 137; for which: hastam alicui, Val. Fl. 3, 193: telum aurata ad tempora, Verg. A. 12, 536: tela manu, Ov. M. 12, 99: valido pila lacerto, id. F. 2, 11: glebas, ramos, id. M. 11, 30: cum fulmina torquet (Juppiter), Verg. A. 4, 208; and trop.: cum Juppiter horridus austris Torquet aquosam hiemem, id. ib. 9, 671; cf.: Eurus nubes in occiduum orbem, Luc. 4, 63.
        In prose: torquere amentatas hastas lacertis, Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 242.
      2. 2. To twist awry, misplace, turn aside, distort: negat sibi umquam, cum oculum torsisset, duas ex lucernā flammulas esse visas, Cic. Ac. 2, 25, 80: ora Tristia temptantum sensu (sapor) torquebit amaro, Verg. G. 2, 247.
      3. 3. To wrench the limbs upon the rack, to put to the rack or to the torture, to rack, torture (class.): ita te nervo torquebo, itidem uti catapultae solent, Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 12: eculeo torqueri, Cic. Fin. 3, 13, 42: aliquem servilem in modum, Suet. Aug. 27; cf.: ira torquentium, Tac. A. 15, 57: servum in caput domini, against his master, Dig. 48, 18, 1: vinctus tortusve, Suet. Aug. 40 fin.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to twist, wrest, distort, turn, bend, direct (a favorite expression of Cicero): versare suam naturam et regere ad tempus atque huc et illuc torquere ac flectere, Cic. Cael. 6, 13: torquere et flectere imbecillitatem animorum, id. Leg. 1, 10, 29: oratio ita flexibilis, ut sequatur, quocumque torqueas, id. Or. 16, 52: omnia ad suae causae commodum, id. Inv. 2, 14, 46: verbo ac litterā jus omne torqueri, wrested, perverted, id. Caecin. 27, 77: sonum, to inflect, Auct. Her. 3, 14, 25: cuncta tuo qui bella, pater, sub numine torques, Verg. A. 12, 180: versare sententias, et huc atque illuc torquere, Tac. H. 1, 85.
    2. B. In partic. (acc. to A. 2.), to rack, torment, torture (syn.: ango, crucio): tuae libidines te torquent, Cic. Par. 2, 18: mitto aurum coronarium, quod te diutissime torsit, id. Pis. 37, 90: acriter nos tuae supplicationes torserunt, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 1: equidem dies noctesque torqueor, Cic. Att. 7, 9, 4: verbi controversia jam diu torquet Graeculos homines, id. de Or. 1, 11, 47; 3, 9, 33: stulti malorum memoriā torquentur, id. Fin. 1, 17, 57: sollicitudine, poenitentia, etc., torquetur mens, Quint. 12, 1, 7: invidiā vel amore vigil torquebere, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 37; Ov. H. 20, 123: torqueor, infesto ne vir ab hoste cadat, id. ib. 9, 36; cf. Hor. S. 2, 8, 67: Aeacus torquet umbras, holds inquisition over, Juv. 1, 9.
      Transf.: (reges) dicuntur torquere mero, quem perspexisse laborant, qs. to rack with wine, i. e. to try or test with wine, Hor. A. P. 435; so, vino tortus et irā, id. Ep. 1, 18, 38.
    3. C. To hurl, fling (of language): curvum sermone rotato enthymema, Juv. 6, 449.
      Hence, tortus, a, um, P. a., twisted, crooked, contorted, distorted.
    1. A. Lit.: via (labyrinthi), Prop. 4 (5), 4, 42: quercus, i. e. a twisted oakgarland, Verg. G. 1, 349.
      Hence,
      1. 2. Subst.: torta, ae, f., a twisted loaf, a twist, Vulg. 1 Par. 16, 3.
    2. * B. Trop.: condiciones, confused, complicated, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 25.
      Adv.: tortē, awry, crookedly: torte penitusque remota, Lucr. 4, 305 (329).

tortē, adv., v. torqueo fin.