torquĕo, torsi, tortum, 2 (archaic inf. torquerier, Hor. S. 2, 8, 67), v. a. [Gr. τρέπω, to turn; cf. ἀτρεκής; also Sanscr. tarkus; Gr. ἄτρακτος, a spindle; and στρέφω, to twist], to turn, turn about or away; to twist, bend, wind (class.; syn. converto).
I Lit.
A In gen.: cervices oculosque, Cic. Leg. 2, 15, 39: oculum, to roll , distort , id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 25, 80: ora, to twist awry , id. Off. 1, 36, 131: ab obscenis sermonibus aurem, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 127: oculos ad moenia, Verg. A. 4, 220: ad sonitum vocis vestigia, id. ib. 3, 669: serpens squamosos orbes Torquet, Ov. M. 3, 42; cf. anguis, Verg. G. 3, 38: capillos ferro, i. e. to curl , frizzle , Ov. A. A. 1, 505: stamina pollice, id. M. 12, 475: remis aquas, id. F. 5, 644: spumas, Verg. A. 3, 208: taxos in arcus, to bend , id. G. 2, 448: tegumen torquens immane leonis, winding about him , id. A. 7, 666: cum terra circum axem se convertat et torqueat, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 39, 123: torta circum bracchia vestis, Tac. H. 5, 22.—
B In partic.
1 To whirl around , to whirl in the act of throwing, to wield , brandish , to fling with force , to hurl (mostly poet.): torquet nunc lapidem, nunc ingens machina tignum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 73: amnis torquet sonantia saxa, Verg. A. 6, 551: stuppea torquentem Balearis verbera fundae, id. G. 1, 309: jaculum in hostem, id. A. 10, 585; Ov. M. 12, 323: hastam in hunc, id. ib. 5, 137; for which: hastam alicui, Val. Fl. 3, 193: telum aurata ad tempora, Verg. A. 12, 536: tela manu, Ov. M. 12, 99: valido pila lacerto, id. F. 2, 11: glebas, ramos, id. M. 11, 30: cum fulmina torquet (Juppiter), Verg. A. 4, 208; and trop.: cum Juppiter horridus austris Torquet aquosam hiemem, id. ib. 9, 671; cf.: Eurus nubes in occiduum orbem, Luc. 4, 63.—In prose: torquere amentatas hastas lacertis, Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 242.—
2 To twist awry , misplace , turn aside , distort : negat sibi umquam, cum oculum torsisset, duas ex lucernā flammulas esse visas, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 25, 80: ora Tristia temptantum sensu (sapor) torquebit amaro, Verg. G. 2, 247.—
3 To wrench the limbs upon the rack , to put to the rack or to the torture , to rack , torture (class.): ita te nervo torquebo, itidem uti catapultae solent, Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 12: eculeo torqueri, Cic. Fin. 3, 13, 42: aliquem servilem in modum, Suet. Aug. 27; cf.: ira torquentium, Tac. A. 15, 57: servum in caput domini, against his master , Dig. 48, 18, 1: vinctus tortusve, Suet. Aug. 40 fin. —
II Trop.
A In gen., to twist , wrest , distort , turn , bend , direct (a favorite expression of Cicero): versare suam naturam et regere ad tempus atque huc et illuc torquere ac flectere, Cic. Cael. 6, 13: torquere et flectere imbecillitatem animorum, id. Leg. 1, 10, 29: oratio ita flexibilis, ut sequatur, quocumque torqueas, id. Or. 16, 52: omnia ad suae causae commodum, id. Inv. 2, 14, 46: verbo ac litterā jus omne torqueri, wrested , perverted , id. Caecin. 27, 77: sonum, to inflect , Auct. Her. 3, 14, 25: cuncta tuo qui bella, pater, sub numine torques, Verg. A. 12, 180: versare sententias, et huc atque illuc torquere, Tac. H. 1, 85.—
B In partic. (acc. to A. 2.), to rack , torment , torture (syn.: ango, crucio): tuae libidines te torquent, Cic. Par. 2, 18: mitto aurum coronarium, quod te diutissime torsit, id. Pis. 37, 90: acriter nos tuae supplicationes torserunt, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 1: equidem dies noctesque torqueor, Cic. Att. 7, 9, 4: verbi controversia jam diu torquet Graeculos homines, id. de Or. 1, 11, 47; 3, 9, 33: stulti malorum memoriā torquentur, id. Fin. 1, 17, 57: sollicitudine, poenitentia, etc., torquetur mens, Quint. 12, 1, 7: invidiā vel amore vigil torquebere, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 37; Ov. H. 20, 123: torqueor, infesto ne vir ab hoste cadat, id. ib. 9, 36; cf. Hor. S. 2, 8, 67: Aeacus torquet umbras, holds inquisition over , Juv. 1, 9.—Transf.: (reges) dicuntur torquere mero, quem perspexisse laborant, qs. to rack with wine , i. e. to try or test with wine , Hor. A. P. 435; so, vino tortus et irā, id. Ep. 1, 18, 38.—
C To hurl , fling (of language): curvum sermone rotato enthymema, Juv. 6, 449.
XI —Hence, tortus , a, um, P. a., twisted , crooked , contorted , distorted.
A Lit.: via (labyrinthi), Prop. 4 (5), 4, 42: quercus, i. e. a twisted oakgarland , Verg. G. 1, 349.—Hence,
2 Subst.: torta , ae, f., a twisted loaf , a twist , Vulg. 1 Par. 16, 3. — *
B Trop.: condiciones, confused , complicated , Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 25. —Adv.: tortē , awry , crookedly : torte penitusque remota, Lucr. 4, 305 (329).