dis-traho, xi, ctum, 3, v. a. To pull asunder, tear in pieces, to separate forcibly, divide (freq. and class.). Lit. In gen.: corpus quod dirimi distrahive non possit, Cic. N. D. 3, 12; cf. id. Tusc. 1, 29, 71: exanimor, feror, differor, distrahor, diripior, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 5; Pentheum diripuisse aiunt Bacchas; nugas ... prae quo pacto ego divorsus distrahor, id. Merc. 2, 4, 1 sq.; cf.: Mettum Fufetium equis ad curriculum ex utraque parte deligatum distraxit, Varr. ap. Non. 287, 22; so of the same: corpus passim, Liv. 1, 28 fin.; of Hippolytus: turbatis distractus equis, Verg. A. 7, 787: quae (materia) neque perrumpi neque distrahi potest, Caes. B. G. 7, 23 fin.; cf. vallum (with diripere), Liv. 25, 36: ut aciem ejus distrahi paterentur, i. e. to be separated, broken up, Caes. B. C. 3, 92, 1: Taurus mons mediam distrahens Asiam, Plin. 5, 27, 27, § 97 et saep.

— In partic., in mercant. lang., to sell separately, in parcels, to retail = divendere (mostly post-Aug.): dividant, differant, dissipent, distrahant, Lucil. ap. Non. 287, 9: coemendo quaedam tantum ut pluris postea distraheret, Suet. Vesp. 16: agros, Tac. A. 6, 17; cf. fundum, Dig. 2, 15, 8, § 15: merces, Just. 9, 1, 6: bona venum, Gell. 20, 1, 19 et saep.

— 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.

— 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. To tear away, draw away, part, to separate, remove. 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 animai) divisior inter se ac distractior, Lucr. 4, 961.

— Trop., distracted, perplexed: distractissimus tantorum onerum mole, Vell. 2, 114, 1.

—Adv. does not occur.