(v. a.P. a.adv.) : dis-tĭnĕo, tĭnŭi, tentum, 2, v. a.teneo.
* To keep asunder, to separate, divide.
* Lit.: tigna binis utrimque fibulis ab extrema parte distinebantur,Caes. B. G. 4, 17, 7; Vitr. 3, 3: mare, quod late terrarum distinet oras,Lucr. 5, 203; 5, 690: duo freta Isthmos,Ov. H. 8, 69 Heins.; cf. id. ib. 12, 104; Luc. 4, 675: quem Notus spatio longius annuo Dulci distinet a domo, Hor. C. 4, 5, 12.
* In gen., to hold off, keep back, keep asunder, hinder, detain, prevent; to occupy, engage, employ, divert: legiones a praesidio interclusas maximum flumen distinebat,Caes. B. G. 7, 59, 5: manus hostium,id. ib. 2, 5, 2: manum,id. ib. 3, 11, 4; id. B. C. 3, 52, 1: copias Caesaris,id. ib. 3, 44, 2: Volscos,Liv. 4, 59: Parthos Hyrcano bello,Tac. A. 14, 25: Britannicum militem hoste et mari,id. H. 2, 32 et saep.: in multitudine judiciorum et novis legibus distineri,Cic. Fam. 7, 2 fin.; cf. id. ib. 12, 30, 2; id. Att. 2, 23: distineri litibus,Nep. Att. 9, 4: ad omnia tuenda multifariam distineri,Liv. 21, 8: quominus strueret crimina distineri,Tac. A. 11, 12.
* Transf., of inanimate objects: pacem,to hinder, prevent,Cic. Phil. 12, 12, 28; Liv. 2, 15 fin.: victoriam,Caes. B. G. 7, 37, 3: rem,Liv. 37, 12.—Hence, distentus, a, um, P. a., engaged, busied, occupied: tot tantisque negotiis,Cic. Rosc. Am. 8, 22; id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 3; Plin. Ep. 6, 18, 1 al.: te distentissimum esse qua de Buthrotiis, qua de Bruto,Cic. Att. 15, 18: circa summa scelera,Tac. A. 16, 8 fin.—Of abstract subjects: mens divina,Cic. N. D. 3, 39 fin.: tempus distentum impeditumque maximis officiis,Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 7.—Comp. and adv. seem not to occur.

s. TLL