I.v. a., to draw apart; to part, split, separate, sever, sunder, divide (class.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “ventus eas (sc. nubes) leviter diducit,” Lucr. 6, 215: “cum compresserat digitos pugnumque fecerat ... cum autem diduxerat et manum dilataverat, etc.,” Cic. Or. 32, 113; “of the graceful movements of the arms in dancing: molli diducit candida gestu brachia,” Prop. 3, 15, 5 (Müll. al. deducit): “candida seu molli diducit brachia motu,” Stat. S. 3, 5, 66; cf. “oculum,” Cels. 7, 7, 4: “supercilium volnere diductum,” Plin. 11, 37, 57, § 157: “pedem et crus in diversa,” Cels. 8, 22: “os,” Plin. 32, 4, 14, § 36: “nares, Quint 11, 3, 80: labra,” ib. 81: “fauces immani hiatu,” to stretch, Sil. 3, 194: “rictum risu,” Hor. S. 1, 10, 7 et saep.: “nodos manu,” Ov. M. 2, 560; cf.: “complexus vestros,” Prop. 1, 13, 19: “humum,” Ov. M. 8, 588; cf.: “arva et urbes,” Verg. A. 3, 419: “terram,” id. G. 2, 354: “scopulos (Hannibal),” Juv. 10, 153; cf. “of natural cleavings of the earth,” Tac. A. 2, 47; 12, 69: cibum, i. e. to digest = digerere, Cels. 3, 4 fin.; v. the foll.: “mixti neque inter se diducti colores,” Cels. 2, 8 et saep.—With in: “crudam materiam in corpus omne diduci, Cels. praef.: maxima flumina in rivos diducuntur,” Quint. 5, 13, 13; cf.: “domum in multos diductam recessus,” id. 11, 2, 18. —
B. In partic. milit. t. t., to separate the forces, in a good or (more freq.) in a bad sense; to divide, distribute; to disperse, scatter: “diductis nostris paullatim navibus,” Caes. B. C. 2, 6, 2: “instruunt aciem diductam in cornua,” Liv. 5, 38, 1 Drak.; cf.: “diducta propere in cornua levis armatura est,” id. 21, 55, 5: “diductis in latera viribus,” Front. Strat. 2, 3, 8 Oud.: “ordines,” id. ib. 2, 3, 12; “2, 6, 4: copias,” Caes. B. C. 3, 111, 2: “cornua,” Liv. 31, 21, 14: “robur,” Luc. 3, 584 Cort.; and poet.: “choros,” Verg. A. 5, 581: “ubi Crassus animadvertit, suas copias propter exiguitatem non facile diduci,” Caes. B. G. 3, 23, 7; 6, 34, 5; id. B. C. 3. 40, 2; Sall. J. 25, 9; Liv. 26, 41; Tac. A. 2, 11; 4, 2; Front. Strat. 4, 7, 31 et saep.—
II. Trop. (mostly post-Aug.): “cum diducaris ab eo, quicum libentissime vixeris,” Cic. Inv. 1, 55 fin.; cf.: “amicitias cohaerentes, Sen. de Ira, 2, 29: nuptias,” id. Contr. 2, 13; cf. “matrimonium,” Suet. Oth. 3; and: “si repudio diducta fuerit,” Sen. Contr. 2, 10: “diducta civitas ut civili bello,” divided into parties, Tac. A. 4, 17; cf. “below: in sterili jejunaque materia, eandem speciem laudis diducere ac spargere,” Plin. Pan. 66, 1; cf. “argumenta,” Quint. 4, 2, 82; 5, 13, 12: “nomina,” id. 6, 3, 17 Spald.: “litem domini et conductoris,” i. e. to settle, adjust, Col. 3, 13, 12 et saep.—With in: “assem in partes centum,” Hor. A. P. 326: “in tres partes medicina diducta est, Cels. praef.: haec omnia rursus in species,” Quint. 2, 14, 5; cf. id. 5, 10, 61; 94 al.: “divisionem in digitos,” to tell off on one's fingers, id. 4, 5, 24 (coupled with partiri); cf. “argumenta,” id. 11, 1, 53: “animum in tam multiplex officium,” id. 20, 7, 9: “ultio senatum in studia diduxerat,” Tac. H. 4, 6; 2, 68; cf.: “seditio in diversa consilia diduxerat vulgum,” Curt. 9, 1; of classification, to divide: in tres partes medicinam, Cels. praef.
