dis-torquĕo, rsi, rtum (supine, distorsum acc. to Prisc. 871 P.), 2, v. a., to turn different ways, to twist, distort (rare but class.).
I Prop.: os, Ter. Eun. 670; so, ora cachinno, Ov. A. A. 3, 287: oculos, Hor. S. 1, 9, 65: labra, Quint. 1, 11, 9.—
II Meton., to torment , torture.
A Lit., Sen. Ben. 7, 19; Suet. Dom. 10.—
B Trop.: quem repulsa distorqueat (with amore cruciari), Sen. Ep. 74: cogitationem, Petr. 52, 2.
V —Hence, distortus , a, um, P. a., distorted , misshapen , deformed , dwarfish.
A Lit.: distortus ejecta lingua, Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 266; cf. Suet. Aug. 83; Quint. 2, 5, 11: vultus, id. 6, 3, 29: crura, Hor. S. 1, 3, 47: solos sapientes esse, si distortissimi sint, formosos, Cic. Mur. 29, 61; cf. Suet. Galb. 21.— Plur. as subst.: pumili atque distorti, id. Aug. 83.—
B Trop.: nullum (genus enuntiandi) distortius, more perverse , unseemly , Cic. Fat. 8 fin.—Adv. does not occur.