(P. a.) : con-torquĕo, torsi, tortum (also -torsum, acc. to Prisc. 9, p. 871 P.), 2
* V. a., to turn, twist, twirl, swing, whirl or brandish, etc. (class. in prose and poetry).
* Lit.
* Of weapons, arms, etc. (mostly poet.): telum contortum validis viribus,Lucr. 1, 971; cf.: hastam viribus,Ov. M. 5, 32: lenta spicula lacertis,Verg. A. 7, 165: hastile adducto lacerto,id. ib. 11, 561: cuspidem lacerto,Ov. M. 8, 345: valido sceptrum lacerto,id. ib. 5, 422: (hastile) certo contorquens dirigit ictu,Verg. A. 12, 490: sed magnum stridens contorta phalarica venit,id. ib. 9, 705: hastam In latus, etc.,id. ib. 2, 52; Quint. 9, 4, 8: telum in eum,Curt. 8, 14, 36.
* Trop. (mostly in Cic. and of rhet. matters; the metaphor taken from missiles which are brandished, that they may be discharged with greater force): (auditor) tamquam machinatione aliquā tum ad severitatem, tum ad remissionem animi est contorquendus,Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72.—So of discourse that is thrown out violently or forcibly, hurled: Demosthenis non tam vibrarent fulmina illa, nisi numeris contorta ferrentur,Cic. Or. 70, 234; cf. Quint. 10, 7, 14: quam rhetorice! quam copiose! quas sententias colligit! quae verba contorquet! ( = summā vi et impetu profert),hurls forth,Cic. Tusc. 3, 26, 63; cf.: longas periodos uno spiritu,Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 4: deinde contorquent et ita concludunt, etc.,twist the argument,Cic. Div. 2, 51, 106.— Hence, contortus, a, um, (acc. to II.), of discourse.
* Brandished, hurled, full of motion, powerful, vehement, energetic, strong (rare; mostly in Cic.): contorta et acris oratio,Cic. Or. 20, 66: vis (orationis),Quint. 10, 7, 14: levibus mulcentur et contortis excitantur,id. 9, 4, 116.
* Involved, intricate, obscure, perplexed, complicated: contortae et difficiles res,Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 250: contorta et aculeata quaedam σοφίσματα, id. Ac. 2, 24, 75.—Adv.: con-tortē (acc. to II.), intricately, perplexedly: dicere,Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 29; Auct. Her. 1, 9, 15. —* Comp.: concluduntur a Stoicis,Cic. Tusc. 3, 10, 22.—Sup. not in use.

s. TLL