I. To keep asunder, to separate, divide.
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.—
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.,
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.—
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.
