cŏ-arto (cŏarcto), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to press together, compress, contract, confine (opp. laxo, dilato, etc.; class.).
I Prop.: faenum in struem, Col. 2, 19, 2; 8, 7, 2: alveum Tiberis (opp. laxo), Suet. Aug. 30: angustae fauces coartant iter, Liv. 28, 5, 8; so id. 33, 6, 7: viam, Dig. 43, 8, 2: forum, Tac. Or. 39; Front. Aquaed. 35: os et fauces sudario, to strangle one’s self , Val. Max. 9, 12, 7 al.: Gnaeus in oppidis coartatus, Cic. Att. 7, 10 med. : in terra, Vulg. Exod. 14, 3.—
II Trop.
A Of time, to abridge , shorten : tempus sponsas habendi, Suet. Aug. 34 fin. : consulatus aliorum, Tac. H. 2, 71: nox coartat iter, Ov. F. 5, 546: tempus potestatis censoriae, Val. Max. 4, 1, 3.—
B Of discourse, to abridge , compress : ut Crassus haec quae coartavit et peranguste refersit in oratione suā, dilatet nobis atque explicet, Cic. de Or. 1, 35, 163; cf.: plura in unum librum, Plin. Ep. 1, 20, 8.—
C ( = cogo.) To compel , constrain : aliquem ad solutionem debiti, Cod. Th. 2, 29, 2; Dig. 18, 1, 57; cf.: coarctor e duobus, pressed , urged , Vulg. Phil. 1, 23.