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.
