con-stringo, strinxi, strictum, 3, v. a., to draw together, bind together, to bind, tie up (class. in prose and poetry).
I Lit.
A In gen.: vineam alligato recte, dum ne nimium constringas, Cato R. R. 33, 1: sarcinam, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 96: galeam, Val. Fl. 3, 80.—Poet.: Haec Amor ipso suo constringet pignera signo, stamp, seal , Prop. 3, 20, 17 (4, 20, 7).—
B In partic., freq.,
1 To bind together with fetters, to fetter, bind (a criminal, insane person, etc.).
α With abl.: corpora vinculis, Cic. de Or. 1, 52, 226; Quint. 7, 3, 14: illum laqueis, Cic. Sest. 41, 88.—
β Without abl.: manus, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 1; id. Mil. 3, 1, 11: aliquem pro moecho, Ter. Eun. 993; cf.: aliquem quadrupedem, i. e. hands and feet , id. And. 865; Cic. Phil. 7, 9, 27; Suet. Calig. 35; * Hor. S. 1, 6, 23 al.: tu mentis es compos? Tu non constringendus? Cic. Phil. 2, 38, 97; cf. id. Pis. 20, 48.—
γ With ad : te hodie constringam ad carnarium, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 66.—
2 T. t. of medic. lang., to draw together, contract : constringens vis suci, Plin. 23, 6, 54, § 100: in febribus constrictis, id. 23, 7, 63, § 120 al.—
II Trop.
A In gen., to hold or bind together, to bind, fetter, restrain, hold in check , etc. (a favorite trope of Cic.; elsewh. less freq.): illa pars animi vinciatur et constringatur amicorum custodiis, Cic. Tusc. 2, 21, 48: conjurationem omnium horum conscientiā, id. Cat. 1, 1, 1: fidem religione potius quam veritate, id. Balb. 5, 12: psephismata jure jurando, id. Fl. 6, 15: leges immutabili necessitate, Quint. 2, 13, 1: orbem terrarum novis legibus, Cic. Agr. 2, 10, 26: (mulieres), quae Oppiis quondam aliisque legibus constrictae, nunc, etc., Tac. A. 3, 33 fin. : scelus fraudemque odio civium supplicioque, Cic. de Or. 1, 46, 202; Liv. 34, 3, 1: superstitione constricti, Quint. 12, 2, 26: nec ullā religione, ut scelus tegat, se posse constringi, Curt. 6, 7, 8.—
B In partic., of discourse or reasoning, to bring into a narrow compass, to compress : (sententia) cum aptis constricta verbis est, cadit etiam plerumque numerose, Cic. Brut. 8, 34: constricta narratio (opp. latius fusa), Quint. 2, 13, 5: quae (ars logica) rem dissolutam divulsamque conglutinaret et ratione quādam constringeret, Cic. de Or. 1, 42, 188.— Hence, constrictus , a, um, P. a., compressed, contracted, abridged, short, brief, concise, compact : frons, knit , Petr. 132, 15; cf. supercilia (opp. dissidentia), Quint. 1, 11, 10: arbor, pruned, confined , Plin. 17, 12, 18, § 90; cf.: folium tenuius et constrictius et angustius, id. 21, 10, 32, § 58: nives perpetuo rigore, condensed , Curt. 7, 3, 11: pulticula constrictior, thicker , Cael. Aur. Acut. 2, 18, 108.— Sup. not in use.—* Adv.: con-strictē , closely : constrictius jungi alicui, Aug. Doctr. Christ. 1, 28.