di-stinguo, nxi, nctum, 3, v. a. [root in Sanscr. tegami, to be sharp; Gr. στίζω, στίγμα; Lat. stimulus stilus, in-stigare, etc.]. —Prop., to separate by points; hence, in gen.,
I To separate , divide , part.
A Lit. (very rare, and almost exclusively poet.): onus inclusum numero eodem, Ov. M. 1, 47: crinem docta manu, i. e. to arrange , Sen. Troad. 884; cf. meton.: caput acu, Claud. Nupt. Hon. 284.—Of countries: qui locus Bithyniam et Galatis, Amm. 25, 10.—Far more freq. and class. (not in Caes.),
B Trop., to distinguish , discriminate , = discernere.
1 In gen.: ea (crimina) distinguere ac separare, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 41; cf. with dividere, id. Pis. 28, 69: servos numero, id. Caecin. 20; so, cadentes guttas intervallis, id. de Or. 3, 48, 186: oratorum genera aetatibus, id. Brut. 19: status familiarum agnationibus, id. Leg. 1, 7 fin. : qua via ambigua distinguantur, ostendit, id. Fin. 1, 7; id. Brut. 41, 152; id. Or. 4, 16; cf. secernenda, id. Top. 7, 31: genera causarum, Quint. 4, 2, 68 et saep.: fortes ignavosque, Tac. H. 3, 27: veri similia ab incredibilibus dijudicare et distinguere, Cic. Part. 40; cf.: vera somnia a falsis, id. Div. 2, 61: Vargulam a Crasso, id. de Or. 2, 60, 244: artificem ab inscio, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 7, 22: voluntatem a facto, Liv. 45, 24: thesin a causa, Quint. 3, 5, 11 et saep.: vero falsum, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 29: simiarum genera caudis inter se, Plin. 8, 54, 80.— Pass. impers. : quid inter naturam et rationem intersit, non distinguitur, Cic. N. D. 3, 10, 26; cf.: malus arborem significet an hominem non bonum, apice distinguitur, Quint. 1, 7, 2: nuntiatum Claudio perisse Messalinam, non distincto sua an aliena manu, Tac. A. 11, 38.—
2 In partic.
α In rhet. and gram., to mark the pauses in discourse , to punctuate : puer ut sciat, quo loco versum distinguere debeat, Quint. 1, 8, 1; cf.: eam (orationem) distinguent atque concident, id. 11, 2, 27; and: incidit has (sc. voces) et distinxit in partes, Cic. Rep. 3, 2 Mos.: distinctio est silentii nota, etc., Diom. p. 432 P.—
β To end , terminate : contationem, Ap. Met. 2, 30, 2.
II To set off , decorate , adorn (most freq. in the P. a.).
A Lit.: racemos purpureo colore, Hor. C. 2, 5, 11; so, poma vario colore, Ov. Nux, 31: aurum gemmarum nitor, Sen. Med. 573; cf. Plin. 37, 10, 62, § 171.—
B Trop.: orationem variare et distinguere quasi quibusdam verborum sententiarumque insignibus, Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36; so of discourse, id. Inv. 2, 15, 49 (with illustrare); id. de Or. 2, 13; Liv. 9, 17: voluptatem (with variare), Cic. Fin. 1, 11, 38; cf.: coenam comoedis, Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 9.
XI —Hence, distinctus , a, um, P. a.
A (Acc. to I.) Separated , separate , distinct : urbs delubris distincta spatiisque communibus, Cic. Rep. 1, 26: Romana acies distinctior, ex pluribus partibus constans, Liv. 9, 19: Hesiodus circa CXX. annos distinctus ab Homeri aetate, Vell. 1, 7: concentus ex distinctis sonis, Cic. Rep. 2, 42; cf. id. ib. 6, 18: distinctos dignitatis gradus non habebat (civitas), id. ib. 1, 27 fin. —
2 Of discourse, properly divided : oratio, Quint. 11, 3, 35. —
B (Acc. to II.) Decorated , adorned : pocula gemmis distincta, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 27: distinctum et ornatum caelum astris, id. N. D. 2, 37 fin. : lyra gemmis et dentibus Indis, Ov. M. 11, 167: herbae innumeris floribus, id. ib. 5, 266: retia maculis, id. H. 5, 19.—
2 Trop.: oratio et ornata et artificio quodam et expolitione distincta, id. de Or. 1, 12, 50; so of discourse, Quint. 5, 14, 33; and transf., of the speaker himself: utroque genere creber et distinctus Cato, Cic. Brut. 17, 69 fin. ; cf. in comp. , Tac. Or. 18.—Adv.: distincte .
1 (Acc. to I.) Distinctly , clearly : articulatim distincteque dicere, Cic. Leg. 1, 13, 36; id. Or. 28 fin. : scribere, id. Tusc. 2, 3, 7: designare, Plin. Pan. 88, 6.—In the comp. : enuntiare, id. Ep. 7, 13.— Sup. : distinctissime persuadere, Cassiod. Complex ad Ephes. 3.—
2 (Acc. to II.) Elegantly , handsomely : qui distincte, qui explicate, qui abundanter, qui illuminate et rebus et verbis dicunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 53; cf. id. Off. 1, 1, 2: distinctius, Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 1.