I.v. a., to draw together, bind together, to bind, tie up (class. in prose and poetry).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “vineam alligato recte, dum ne nimium constringas,” Cato, R. R. 33, 1: “sarcinam,” Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 96: “galeam,” Val. Fl. 3, 80.—Poet.: “Haec Amor ipso suo constringet pignera signo,” stamp, seal, Prop. 3, 20, 17 (4, 20, 7).—
B. In partic., freq.,
1. To bind together with fetters, to fetter, bind (a criminal, insane person, etc.).
(α).
With abl.: “corpora vinculis,” Cic. de Or. 1, 52, 226; Quint. 7, 3, 14: “illum laqueis,” Cic. Sest. 41, 88.—
(β).
Without abl.: “manus,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 1; id. Mil. 3, 1, 11: “aliquem pro moecho,” Ter. Eun. 5, 5, 23; cf.: “aliquem quadrupedem,” i. e. hands and feet, id. And. 5, 2, 24; Cic. Phil. 7, 9, 27; Suet. Calig. 35; * Hor. S. 1, 6, 23 al.: “tu mentis es compos? Tu non constringendus?” Cic. Phil. 2, 38, 97; cf. id. Pis. 20, 48.—
2. T. t. of medic. lang., to draw together, contract: “constringens vis suci,” Plin. 23, 6, 54, § 100: “in febribus constrictis,” id. 23, 7, 63, § 120 al.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., to hold or bind together, to bind, fetter, restrain, hold in check, etc. (a favorite trope of Cic.; “elsewh. less freq.): illa pars animi vinciatur et constringatur amicorum custodiis,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 21, 48: “conjurationem omnium horum conscientiā,” id. Cat. 1, 1, 1: “fidem religione potius quam veritate,” id. Balb. 5, 12: “psephismata jure jurando,” id. Fl. 6, 15: “leges immutabili necessitate,” Quint. 2, 13, 1: “orbem terrarum novis legibus,” Cic. Agr. 2, 10, 26: “(mulieres), quae Oppiis quondam aliisque legibus constrictae, nunc, etc.,” Tac. A. 3, 33 fin.: “scelus fraudemque odio civium supplicioque,” Cic. de Or. 1, 46, 202; Liv. 34, 3, 1: “superstitione constricti,” Quint. 12, 2, 26: “nec ullā religione, ut scelus tegat, se posse constringi,” Curt. 6, 7, 8.—
B. In partic., of discourse or reasoning, to bring into a narrow compass, to compress: “(sententia) cum aptis constricta verbis est, cadit etiam plerumque numerose,” Cic. Brut. 8, 34: “constricta narratio (opp. latius fusa),” Quint. 2, 13, 5: “quae (ars logica) rem dissolutam divulsamque conglutinaret et ratione quādam constringeret,” Cic. de Or. 1, 42, 188.— Hence, constrictus , a, um, P. a., compressed, contracted, abridged, short, brief, concise, compact: “frons,” knit, Petr. 132, 15; cf. “supercilia (opp. dissidentia),” Quint. 1, 11, 10: “arbor,” pruned, confined, Plin. 17, 12, 18, § 90; cf.: “folium tenuius et constrictius et angustius,” id. 21, 10, 32, § 58: “nives perpetuo rigore,” condensed, Curt. 7, 3, 11: “pulticula constrictior,” thicker, Cael. Aur. Acut. 2, 18, 108.—Sup. not in use.—* Adv.: con-strictē , closèly: “constrictius jungi alicui,” Aug. Doctr. Christ. 1, 28.
