(v. a.P. a.P. a.) : 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.
* To separate, divide, part.
* 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.)
* To set off, decorate, adorn (most freq. in the P. a.).
* 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, 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.
* In partic.
* 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.
* To end, terminate: contationem,App. M. 2, p. 127 fin.
* 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.
* 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.—Hence, distinctus, a, um, P. 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.
* Of discourse, properly divided: oratio,Quint. 11, 3, 35.
* (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.
* Trop.: oratio et ornata et artificio quodam et expolitione distincta,id. de Or. 1, 12; so of discourse,Quint. 5, 14, 33; and transf., of the speaker himself: utroque genere creber et distinctus Cato, Cic. Brut. 17 fin.; cf. in comp., Tac. Or. 18.—Adv.: distincte.
* (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.
* (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.

s. TLL