I. To strip off.
A. Lit. (class.), of the leaves of plants: “avenam,” Cato R. R. 37, 5: “oleam,” Col. 11, 2, 83: “bacam myrti,” id. 12, 38, 7: “frondem,” Quint. 12, 6, 2: “ramos,” Luc. 4, 317 al.—Of rubbing the body in the bath, Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 14; Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 55; 62; Mart. 14, 51; hence also of scouring out the intestines: “interanea,” Plin. 32, 9, 31, § 96. Esp. freq. of the sword; to unsheathe, draw: “gladium,” Cic. Off. 3, 31, 112; Caes. B. G. 1, 25, 2; id. B. C. 1, 46; Liv. 27, 13 al.: “ensem,” Hor. Od. 3, 1, 17; Ov. F. 2, 99; 207 et saep.; “hence also securim,” Liv. 8, 7.—
B. Trop. (very rare): “non laturi homines destringi aliquid et abradi bonis,” should be taken from, Plin. Pan. 37, 2.—
II. To touch gently, to graze, skim, skirt (perh. only in the poets).
A. Lit.: “aequora alis,” Ov. M. 4, 562: “pectus arundine,” id. ib. 10, 526: “pectora summa sagittā,” id. H. 16, 275; “for which, corpus harundo,” id. M. 8, 382; cf.: “Cygnum cuspis,” id. ib. 12, 101; “and even vulnus,” to cause a slight wound, Grat. Cyn. 364.—
B. Trop., to criticise, censure, satirize: “quemquam mordaci carmine,” Ov. Tr. 2, 563: “alios gravi contumelia,” Phaedr. 1, 29, 2.—Hence, dē-strictus , a, um, P. a., severe, rigid, censorious: “quam destrictam egerunt censuram,” Val. Max. 2, 9, 6.—Comp.: “ut quis destrictior accusator, velut sacrosanctus erat,” Tac. A. 4, 36 fin.
