distineō tinuī, tentus, ēre dis + teneo, to keep asunder, separate, part, hold back: tigna binis utrimque fibulis distinebantur, Cs.: duo freta Isthmos, O.: alqm a domo, H.: hostem Agger, V.

—To keep back, hinder, detain, occupy, engage, employ, divert: manūs hostium, Cs.: copias Caesaris, kept from uniting, Cs.: Volscos, L.: in multitudine iudiciorum distineri: distineri litibus, N.: ad omnia tuenda multifariam distineri, L.

— To hinder, delay, put off, prevent: pacem: victoriam, Cs.: rem distinebat, quod, etc., L.

—Fig., to distract, perplex: distineor dolore: factiones senatum distinebant, L.