(v. a.P. a.) : dis-trăho, xi, ctum, 3, v. a.
* To pull asunder, tear in pieces, to separate forcibly, divide (freq. and class.).
* Lit.
* To tear away, draw away, part, to separate, remove.
* Trop., to draw in different directions; to divide, distract, perplex: qui haec natura cohaerentia opinione distraxissent,Cic. Off. 3, 3, 11; cf. Quint. 4, 3, 4: distrahitur in deliberando animus,Cic. Off. 1, 3, 9; cf., shortly before: in quo considerando saepe animi in contrarias sententias distrahuntur; cf.: distrahor, tum hoc mihi probabilius, tum illud videtur,id. Ac. 2, 43 fin.: cum Tiberium anceps cura distraheret, vine militum ... an, etc.,Tac. A. 2, 40; cf. id. ib. 6, 44: obsessos hinc fides, inde egestas inter decus ac flagitium distrahebant,id. H. 4, 60: oratoris industriam in plura studia distrahere nolim,Cic. de Or. 1, 59: sic distrahuntur in contrarias partes impotentium cupiditates,id. Tusc. 5, 20 fin.; cf. Tac. A. 4, 40: res publica distracta lacerataque, Liv. 2, 57; cf. quae sententia omnem societatem distrahit civitatis,Cic. Off. 3, 6, 28: Caesarem et Pompeium perfidia hominum distractos in pristinam concordiam reducere, Balbus ap. Cic. Att. 8, 15 A.: amorem,Ter. Ph. 3, 2, 33: concilium Boeotorum,Liv. 42, 47: collegia,Suet. Caes. 42: matrimonium,Dig. 24, 2, 2 et saep.: rem,to frustrate, prevent,Caes. B. C. 1, 33, 3: controversias, i. e. dirimere,to end, adjust,Cic. Caecin. 2, 6; Suet. Caes. 85: voces, i. e. to leave a hiatus (opp. contrahere), Cic. Or. 45, 152: qua ipse fama distraheretur, i. q. differretur (cf. differo, B. 2.),would be assailed,Tac. A. 3, 10.
* In gen., to sell: instrumentum,Suet. Cal. 39: levi pretio aetatulam,App. M. 7, p. 191 fin.
* To waste, squander: apsenti hic tua res distrahitur tibi,Plaut. Trin. 3, 1, 16.
* Lit.: membra divellere ac distrahere,Cic. Sull. 20 fin.: illam a me distrahit necessitas,Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 42; id. Phorm. 1, 4, 24; Cic. Fam. 4, 13, 2.
* Trop.: sapientiam, temperantiam, fortitudinem copulatas esse docui cum voluptate, ut ab ea nullo modo nec divelli nec distrahi possint,Cic. Fin. 1, 16, 50.
* Of persons, to separate in sentiment, to estrange, alienate: aliquem ab aliquo (preceded by: a conjunctione avocare, and: a familiaritate disjungere),id. Phil. 2, 10, 23; so with divellere,id. Planc. 42, 102.—Hence, distractus, a, um, P. a.
* Divided (very rarely): (conjectus animaï) divisior inter se ac distractior,Lucr. 4, 961.
* Trop., distracted, perplexed: distractissimus tantorum onerum mole,Vell. 2, 114, 1.—Adv. does not occur.

s. TLL