dē-stringo — Lewis & Short
dē-stringo, inxi, ictum, 3, v. a.
I To strip off.
A Lit. (class.), of the leaves of plants:
avenam,Cato R. R. 37, 5:
oleam,Col. 11, 2, 83:
bacam myrti,id. 12, 38, 7:
frondem,Quint. 12, 6, 2:
ramos,Luc. 4, 317 al.—Of rubbing the body in the bath, Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 14; Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 55; 62; Mart. 14, 51; hence also of scouring out the intestines:
interanea,Plin. 32, 9, 31, § 96. Esp. freq. of the sword; to unsheathe, draw:
gladium,Cic. Off. 3, 31, 112; Caes. B. G. 1, 25, 2; id. B. C. 1, 46; Liv. 27, 13 al.:
ensem,Hor. Od. 3, 1, 17; Ov. F. 2, 99; 207 et saep.;
hence also securim,Liv. 8, 7.—
B Trop. (very rare):
non laturi homines destringi aliquid et abradi bonis,should be taken from, Plin. Pan. 37, 2.—
II To touch gently, to graze, skim, skirt (perh. only in the poets).
A Lit.:
aequora alis,Ov. M. 4, 562:
pectus arundine,id. ib. 10, 526:
pectora summa sagittā,id. H. 16, 275;
for which, corpus harundo,id. M. 8, 382; cf.:
Cygnum cuspis,id. ib. 12, 101;
and even vulnus,to cause a slight wound, Grat. Cyn. 364.—
B Trop., to criticise, censure, satirize:
quemquam mordaci carmine,Ov. Tr. 2, 563:
alios gravi contumelia,Phaedr. 1, 29, 2.—Hence, dē-strictus, a, um, P. a., severe, rigid, censorious:
quam destrictam egerunt censuram,Val. Max. 2, 9, 6.—Comp.:
ut quis destrictior accusator, velut sacrosanctus erat,Tac. A. 4, 36 fin.