I.to draw close, to draw, bind, or tie together, to bind, to tighten, contract (syn.: constringo, stringo, alligo, obligo, vincio).
I. Lit.: “(hunc) adstringite ad columnam fortiter,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 25: “ad statuam astrictus est,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 42: “manus,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 9: “vinculorum, id est aptissimum ... quod ex se atque de iis, quae adstringit quam maxume, unum efficit,” Cic. Tim. 4 fin.: “astringit vincula motu,” Ov. M. 11, 75: “laqueos,” Sen. Ira, 3, 16: “artius atque hederā procera adstringitur ilex,” is twined around with ivy, Hor. Epod. 15, 5: “adstringi funibus,” Vulg. Ezech. 27, 24: “aliquem adstringere loris,” ib. Act. 22, 25: “pavidum in jus Cervice adstrictā dominum trahat,” with a halter round his neck, Juv. 10, 88 (Jahn, obstrictā): aspice ... Quam non adstricto percurrat pulpita socco, not drawn close, loose; poet. for a negligent style of writing, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 174: “Ipse rotam adstringit multo sufflamine consul,” checks, Juv. 8, 148: “balteus haud fluxos gemmis adstrinxit amictus,” Luc. 2, 362: “frontem,” to contract, knit, Mart. 11, 40; Sen. Ep. 106: “labra porriguntur et scinduntur et adstringuntur,” Quint. 11, 3, 81: “frondem ferro,” to cut off, clip, Col. 5, 6, 17 al.; so, alvum, to make costive (opp. solvere, q. v.), Cels. 1, 3; 2, 30.—Of the contraction produced by cold: “nivibus quoque molle rotatis astringi corpus,” Ov. M. 9, 222; so id. Tr. 3, 4, 48; id. P. 3, 3, 26: “ventis glacies astricta pependit,” id. M. 1, 120: “Sic stat iners Scythicas adstringens Bosporus undas,” Luc. 5, 436: “vis frigoris (corpora) ita adstringebat,” Curt. 7, 3, 13; 8, 4, 6.—Hence, also, to make colder, to cool, refresh: “ex quo (puteo) possis rursus adstringere,” Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 25: corpus astringes brevi Salone, Mart. 1, 49, 11 (acc. to Varr. in a pass. sense in the perf., adstrinxi for adstrictus sum, Varr. L. L. Fragm. ap. Gell. 2, 25, 7).—Of colors, to deaden: “ita permixtis viribus alterum altero excitatur aut adstringitur,” Plin. 9, 38, 62, § 134 (diff. from alligare, which precedes; “v. alligo, I. B.).—Also of an astringent, harsh taste: radix gustu adstringit,” Plin. 27, 10, 60, § 85.—
II. Trop., to draw together, draw closer, circumscribe; to bind, put under obligation, oblige, necessitate: “ubi adfinitatem inter nos nostram adstrinxeris,” Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 73: vellem, suscepisses juvenem regendum; “pater enim nimis indulgens, quicquid ego adstrinxi, relaxat,” Cic. Att. 10, 6; so, “mores disciplinae severitate,” Quint. 2, 2, 4 Spald.: “ad adstringendam fidem,” Cic. Off. 3, 31, 111: “hac lege tibi meam astringo fidem,” Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 22: “quo (jure jurando) se cuncti astrinxerant,” Suet. Caes. 84: “hujus tanti officii servitutem astringebam testimonio sempiterno,” to confirm, secure, Cic. Planc. 30 fin. Wund.: “religione devinctum astrictumque,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 42: “disciplina astricta legibus,” id. Brut. 10, 40; id. ad Q. Fr. 1, 1, 3: “lege et quaestione,” id. Clu. 155: “suis condicionibus,” id. Quinct. 5: “auditor nullā ejus modi adstrictus necessitate,” id. N. D. 1, 7, 17: “orationem numeris astringere,” id. de Or. 3, 44, 173 et saep.: “adstringi sacris,” to be bound to maintain, id. Leg. 2, 19: “inops regio, quae parsimoniā astringeret milites,” Liv. 39, 1: “ad temperantiam,” Plin. Ep. 7, 1: “ad servitutem juris,” Quint. 2, 16, 9: “illa servitus ad certa se verba adstringendi,” id. 7, 3, 16: “milites ad certam stipendiorum formulam,” Suet. Aug. 49; id. Tib. 18: “me astringam verbis in sacra jura tuis,” Ov. H. 16, 320; 20, 28: “magno scelere se astringeret,” Cic. Phil. 4, 4, 9; id. Sest. 50 fin.; so id. Sull. 29, 82; perh. also id. Pis. 39 fin.; instead of this abl. of class. Latin, we sometimes find in comedy apparently the gen.: “et ipsum sese et illum furti adstringeret,” made guilty of, charged himself with, Plaut. Rud. 4, 7, 34: “Homo furti sese adstringet,” id. Poen. 3, 4, 27 (cf.: “Audin tu? hic furti se adligat,” Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 39; Draeger, Hist. Synt. I. § 209, regards this as a vulgar extension of the use of the gen. with verbs of accusing, convicting, etc., but Klotz, s. v. astringo, regards it as really an old dative, furtoi furti; cf. quoi cui).—Of reasoning or discourse, to compress, abridge, bring into short compass: “Stoici breviter adstringere solent argumenta,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 6, 13 (cf. id. ib. 3, 10, 22: Haec sic dicuntur a Stoicis, concludunturque contortius); id. Fat. 14, 32: “premere tumentia, luxuriantia adstringere,” Quint. 10, 4, 1 Frotsch., Halm.—Hence, astrictus (ads- ), a, um, P. a., drawn together, tight, narrow, close.
A. Lit.: “limen astrictum,” shut, Ov. Am. 3, 1, 50: “alvus fusior aut astrictior,” Cels. 1, 3: “corpus astrictum, i. e. alvus dura,” id. 3, 6: “genus morbi astrictum,” costiveness, id. 1 praef.: “gustu adstricto,” of a harsh, astringent taste, Plin. 27, 12, 96, § 121.—
B. Trop.
1. Sparing, parsimonious, covetous (not before the Aug. per.): “astrictus pater,” Prop. 3, 17, 18: “adstricti moris auctor,” Tac. A. 3, 55: “parsimonia,” Just. 44, 2.—
2. Of discourse, compact, brief, concise, short (opp. remissus): “dialectica quasi contracta et astricta eloquentia putanda est,” Cic. Brut. 90, 309: “verborum astricta comprehensio,” id. ib. 95, 327: “est enim finitimus oratori poëta, numeris astrictior paulo,” id. de Or. 1, 16, 70; 1, 16, 60.—Sup. not used.—Adv.: astrictē (ads- ), concisely, briefly (only of discourse): “astricte numerosa oratio,” Cic. de Or. 3, 48, 184.—Comp.: “astrictius dicere,” Sen. Ep. 8 fin., and Plin. Ep. 1, 20, 20: “scribere,” id. ib. 3, 18, 10: “ille concludit adstrictius, hic latius,” Quint. 10, 1, 106.—Sup. not used.
