LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbsecond conjugation

torqueō

torqueō (present infinitive torquēre, perfect active torsī, supine tortum)
Classical[ˈtɔr.kʷe.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈtɔr.kʷe.o]

Meaning

  1. to spin, whirl, twirl, turn, cause to revolve
    [...] ubi maximus Atlās / axem humerō torquet stēllīs ārdentibus aptum.“… where colossal Atlas turns on his shoulder the pole [of heaven] studded with blazing stars.”29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.481–482
  2. to twist, wind, bend awry, distort
  3. to hurl violently, twirl (around the head to throw), fling
  4. to torment, torture

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

cruciō, dolōre afficiō
torqueō -ēre — in Epistulae, ch. 9

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Vertere · Torquere · Convertere · Invertere · Pervertere

Vertere means to turn, that is, to move anything in order to give it another position or situation, like τρέπειν; torquere (from τρέκω), ἀτρεκής), to twist, that is, in order to move a fixed point, like στρέφειν. 2. Convertere means, either to turn in a body, with reference to those acting, as, for instance, Ut pæne terga convertant; or, with reference to the action, to turn completely; whereas invertere means, to turn only half round, so that the reverse side of the thing turned is exposed; lastly, pervertere means to turn upside down, so that the thing turned becomes useless, or falls to the ground. (v. 289.)

Conjugation conjugation 2

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.torqueōtorquēbamtorquēbōtorsītorseramtorserō
2nd sg.torquēstorquēbāstorquēbistorsistītorserāstorseris
3rd sg.torquettorquēbattorquēbittorsittorserattorserit
1st pl.torquēmustorquēbāmustorquēbimustorsimustorserāmustorserimus
2nd pl.torquētistorquēbātistorquēbitistorsististorserātistorseritis
3rd pl.torquenttorquēbanttorquēbunttorsērunt
torsēre		torseranttorserint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.torqueamtorquēremtorserimtorsissem
2nd sg.torqueāstorquērēstorserīstorsissēs
3rd sg.torqueattorquērettorserittorsisset
1st pl.torqueāmustorquērēmustorserīmustorsissēmus
2nd pl.torqueātistorquērētistorserītistorsissētis
3rd pl.torqueanttorquērenttorserinttorsissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.torqueortorquēbartorquēbor
2nd sg.torquēris
torquēre		torquēbāris
torquēbāre		torquēberis
torquēbere
3rd sg.torquēturtorquēbāturtorquēbitur
1st pl.torquēmurtorquēbāmurtorquēbimur
2nd pl.torquēminītorquēbāminītorquēbiminī
3rd pl.torquenturtorquēbanturtorquēbuntur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.torqueartorquērer
2nd sg.torqueāris
torqueāre		torquērēris
torquērēre
3rd sg.torqueāturtorquērētur
1st pl.torqueāmurtorquērēmur
2nd pl.torqueāminītorquērēminī
3rd pl.torqueanturtorquērentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.torquētorquēre
pres. 2nd pl.torquētetorquēminī
fut. 2nd sg.torquētōtorquētor
fut. 3rd sg.torquētōtorquētor
fut. 2nd pl.torquētōte—
fut. 3rd pl.torquentōtorquentor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivetorquēretorquērī
torquērier
perfect infinitivetorsissetortum esse
future infinitivetortūrum essetortum īrī
present participletorquēns—
perfect participle—tortus
torta, tortā, tortae, tortam, tortārum, tortās, torte, tortī, tortīs, tortō, tortōrum, tortōs
future participletortūrus
tortūra, tortūrā, tortūrae, tortūram, tortūrārum, tortūrās, tortūre, tortūrī, tortūrīs, tortūrō, tortūrōrum, tortūrōs, tortūrum		torquendus
torquenda, torquendā, torquendae, torquendam, torquendārum, torquendās, torquende, torquendīs, torquendōrum, torquendōs
gerundtorquendī, torquendō, torquendumsupinetortum, tortū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

exspectatione torqueri, cruciari
to suffer torments of expectation, delay.

torquĕo, torsi, tortum, 2 (archaic
I. inf. torquerier, Hor. S. 2, 8, 67), v. a. Gr. τρέπω, to turn; cf. ἀτρεκής; also Sanscr. tarkus; Gr. ἄτρακτος, a spindle; and στρέφω, to twist, to turn, turn about or away; to twist, bend, wind (class.; syn. converto).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: cervices oculosque, Cic. Leg. 2, 15, 39: oculum, to roll, distort, id. Ac. 2, 25, 80: ora, to twist awry, id. Off. 1, 36, 131: ab obscenis sermonibus aurem, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 127: oculos ad moenia, Verg. A. 4, 220: ad sonitum vocis vestigia, id. ib. 3, 669: serpens squamosos orbes Torquet, Ov. M. 3, 42; cf. anguis, Verg. G. 3, 38: capillos ferro, i. e. to curl, frizzle, Ov. A. A. 1, 505: stamina pollice, id. M. 12, 475: remis aquas, id. F. 5, 644: spumas, Verg. A. 3, 208: taxos in arcus, to bend, id. G. 2, 448: tegumen torquens immane leonis, winding about him, id. A. 7, 666: cum terra circum axem se convertat et torqueat, Cic. Ac. 2, 39, 123: torta circum bracchia vestis, Tac. H. 5, 22.—
B. In partic.
1. To whirl around, to whirl in the act of throwing, to wield, brandish, to fling with force, to hurl (mostly poet.): torquet nunc lapidem, nunc ingens machina tignum, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 73: amnis torquet sonantia saxa, Verg. A. 6, 551: stuppea torquentem Balearis verbera fundae, id. G. 1, 309: jaculum in hostem, id. A. 10, 585; Ov. M. 12, 323: hastam in hunc, id. ib 5, 137; for which: hastam alicui, Val. Fl. 3, 193: telum aurata ad tempora, Verg. A. 12, 536: tela manu, Ov. M. 12, 99: valido pila lacerto, id. F. 2, 11: glebas, ramos, id. M. 11, 30: cum fulmina torquet (Juppiter), Verg. A. 4, 208; and trop.: cum Juppiter horridus austris Torquet aquosam hiemem, id. ib. 9, 671; cf.: Eurus nubes in occiduum orbem, Luc. 4, 63.—In prose: torquere amentatas hastas lacertis, Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 242.—
2. To twist awry, misplace, turn aside, distort: negat sibi umquam, cum oculum torsisset, duas ex lucernā flammulas esse visas, Cic. Ac. 2, 25, 80: ora Tristia temptantum sensu (sapor) torquebit amaro, Verg. G. 2, 247.—
3. To wrench the limbs upon the rack, to put to the rack or to the torture, to rack, torture (class.): ita te nervo torquebo, itidem uti catapultae solent, Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 12: eculeo torqueri, Cic. Fin. 3, 13, 42: aliquem servilem in modum, Suet. Aug. 27; cf.: ira torquentium, Tac. A. 15, 57: servum in caput domini, against his master, Dig. 48, 18, 1: vinctus tortusve, Suet. Aug. 40 fin.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., to twist, wrest, distort, turn, bend, direct (a favorite expression of Cicero): versare suam naturam et regere ad tempus atque huc et illuc torquere ac flectere, Cic. Cael. 6, 13: torquere et flectere imbecillitatem animorum, id. Leg. 1, 10, 29: oratio ita flexibilis, ut sequatur, quocumque torqueas, id. Or. 16, 52: omnia ad suae causae commodum, id. Inv. 2, 14, 46: verbo ac litterā jus omne torqueri, wrested, perverted, id. Caecin. 27, 77: sonum, to inflect, Auct. Her. 3, 14, 25: cuncta tuo qui bella, pater, sub numine torques, Verg. A. 12, 180: versare sententias, et huc atque illuc torquere, Tac. H. 1, 85.—
B. In partic. (acc. to A. 2.), to rack, torment, torture (syn.: ango, crucio): tuae libidines te torquent, Cic. Par. 2, 18: mitto aurum coronarium, quod te diutissime torsit, id. Pis. 37, 90: acriter nos tuae supplicationes torserunt, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 1: equidem dies noctesque torqueor, Cic. Att. 7, 9, 4: verbi controversia jam diu torquet Graeculos homines, id. de Or. 1, 11, 47; 3, 9, 33: stulti malorum memoriā torquentur, id. Fin. 1, 17, 57: sollicitudine, poenitentia, etc., torquetur mens, Quint. 12, 1, 7: invidiā vel amore vigil torquebere, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 37; Ov. H. 20, 123: torqueor, infesto ne vir ab hoste cadat, id. ib. 9, 36; cf. Hor. S. 2, 8, 67: Aeacus torquet umbras, holds inquisition over, Juv. 1, 9.—Transf.: (reges) dicuntur torquere mero, quem perspexisse laborant, qs. to rack with wine, i. e. to try or test with wine, Hor. A. P. 435; so, vino tortus et irā, id. Ep. 1, 18, 38.—
C. To hurl, fling (of language): curvum sermone rotato enthymema, Juv. 6, 449.—Hence, tortus, a, um, P. a., twisted, crooked, contorted, distorted.
A. Lit.: via (labyrinthi), Prop. 4 (5), 4, 42. quercus, i. e. a twisted oakgarland, Verg. G. 1, 349.—Hence,
2. Subst.: torta, ae, f., a twisted loaf, a twist, Vulg. 1 Par. 16, 3. — *
B. Trop.: condiciones, confused, complicated, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 25. —Adv.: tortē, awry, crookedly: torte penitusque remota, Lucr. 4, 305 (329).

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*terkʷ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*torkʷ-éye-ti
  3. Proto-Italic*torkʷejō
  4. Proto-Italic*torkʷeō
  5. Latintorqueō

Inherited from Proto-Italic *torkʷeō, from *torkʷejō, from Proto-Indo-European *torkʷ-éye-ti, from *terkʷ- (“to turn”) + *-éyeti. Cognates with Latin trīcae, trepidus, turpis, Sanskrit तर्कु (tarkú), Hittite 𒋻𒌑𒍣 (tarúzi) and Old Church Slavonic тракъ (trakŭ). See also English torch, torque, thwart, queer.

Descendants
  • Englishtorque
  • Englishtorch
  • Englishtruss
  • Vulgar Latin*torcere
  • Turkishtorkfrom English torque
  • Welshterchu

Quick answers

What does torqueō mean in Latin?
torqueō, a verb, means “to spin, whirl, twirl, turn, cause to revolve; to twist, wind, bend awry, distort; to hurl violently, twirl (around the head to throw), fling”.
What are the principal parts of torqueō?
torqueō, torquēre, torsī, tortum (second conjugation).
How do you pronounce torqueō?
In classical Latin, [ˈtɔr.kʷe.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈtɔr.kʷe.o].
Where does torqueō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- → Proto-Indo-European *torkʷ-éye-ti → Proto-Italic *torkʷejō → Proto-Italic *torkʷeō → Latin torqueō.