I.supine, distorsum acc. to Prisc. 871 P.), 2, v. a., to turn different ways, to twist, distort (rare but class.).
I. Prop.: “os,” Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 3; so, “ora cachinno,” Ov. A. A. 3, 287: “oculos,” Hor. S. 1, 9, 65: “labra,” Quint. 1, 11, 9.—
II. Meton., to torment, torture.
A. Lit., Sen. Ben. 7, 19; Suet. Dom. 10.—
B. Trop.: “quem repulsa distorqueat (with amore cruciari),” Sen. Ep. 74: “cogitationem,” Petr. 52, 2.—Hence, distortus , a, um, P. a., distorted, misshapen, deformed, dwarfish.
A. Lit.: “distortus ejecta lingua,” Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 266; cf. Suet. Aug. 83; Quint. 2, 5, 11: “vultus,” id. 6, 3, 29: “crura,” Hor. S. 1, 3, 47: “solos sapientes esse, si distortissimi sint, formosos,” Cic. Mur. 29, 61; cf. Suet. Galb. 21.—Plur. as subst.: “pumili atque distorti,” id. Aug. 83.—
B. Trop.: “nullum (genus enuntiandi) distortius,” more perverse, unseemly, Cic. Fat. 8 fin.—Adv. does not occur.
