contorqueo

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

con-torquĕo: torsi, tortum (also -torsum, acc. to Prisc. 9, p. 871 P.), 2,
I v. a., to turn, twist, twirl, swing, whirl or brandish, etc. (class. in prose and poetry).
I Lit.
   A Of weapons, arms, etc. (mostly poet.): telum contortum validis viribus, Lucr. 1, 971; cf.: hastam viribus, Ov. M. 5, 32: lenta spicula lacertis, Verg. A. 7, 165: hastile adducto lacerto, id. ib. 11, 561: cuspidem lacerto, Ov. M. 8, 345: valido sceptrum lacerto, id. ib. 5, 422: (hastile) certo contorquens dirigit ictu, Verg. A. 12, 490: sed magnum stridens contorta phalarica venit, id. ib. 9, 705: hastam In latus, etc., id. ib. 2, 52; Quint. 9, 4, 8: telum in eum, Curt. 8, 14, 36.—
   B Of other objects: gubernaclum quolibet, Lucr. 4, 904; cf.: membra quocumque volt, Cic. Div. 1, 53, 120: tantum corpus, Lucr. 4, 900: globum eā celeritate, etc., Cic. N. D. 1, 10, 24; id. Arat. 61: equum magnā vi, Poët. ap. Quint. 8, 6, 9: amnis in alium cursum contortos et deflexos videmus, Cic. Div. 1, 19, 38: proram ad laevas undas, Verg. A. 3, 562: silvas insano vortice, whirling them round in its raging whirlpool, id. G. 1, 481; cf. * Cat. 64, 107: frementes aquas subitis verticibus, Luc. 4, 102 Weber; cf. id. 3, 631; Sil. 3, 50: an omnis tempestas aeque mare illud contorqueat, Sen. Ep. 79, 1 al.: vertex est contorta in se aqua, Quint. 8, 2, 7: nubila fumo, Sil. 4, 309.—
II Trop. (mostly in Cic. and of rhet. matters; the metaphor taken from missiles which are brandished, that they may be discharged with greater force): (auditor) tamquam machinatione aliquā tum ad severitatem, tum ad remissionem animi est contorquendus, Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72.—So of discourse that is thrown out violently or forcibly, hurled: Demosthenis non tam vibrarent fulmina illa, nisi numeris contorta ferrentur, Cic. Or. 70, 234; cf. Quint. 10, 7, 14: quam rhetorice! quam copiose! quas sententias colligit! quae verba contorquet! ( = summā vi et impetu profert), hurls forth, Cic. Tusc. 3, 26, 63; cf.: longas periodos uno spiritu, Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 4: deinde contorquent et ita concludunt, etc., twist the argument, Cic. Div. 2, 51, 106.— Hence, contortus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to II.), of discourse.
   A Brandished, hurled, full of motion, powerful, vehement, energetic, strong (rare; mostly in Cic.): contorta et acris oratio, Cic. Or. 20, 66: vis (orationis), Quint. 10, 7, 14: levibus mulcentur et contortis excitantur, id. 9, 4, 116.—
   B Involved, intricate, obscure, perplexed, complicated: contortae et difficiles res, Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 250: contorta et aculeata quaedam σοφίσματα, id. Ac. 2, 24, 75.—Adv.: con-tortē (acc. to II.), intricately, perplexedly: dicere, Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 29; Auct. Her. 1, 9, 15. —* Comp.: concluduntur a Stoicis, Cic. Tusc. 3, 10, 22.—Sup. not in use.

Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)

contorquĕō,¹¹ torsī, tortum, ēre, tr.,
1 tourner, faire tourner (tournoyer) : membra Cic. Div. 1, 120, se tourner ; proram ad... Virg. En. 3, 562, tourner la proue vers... ; amnes in alium cursum contorti Cic. Div. 1, 38, cours d’eau que l’on a détournés dans une autre direction