συστρέφω,
twist up, roll up, of a whirlwind, μή σ’ ἀναρπάσῃ.. συστρέψας ἄφνω A. Fr. 195, cf. Ar. Lys. 975, Th. 61; φρυγάνων πλῆθος [Act 28:3]; ἔριον περὶ μηλωτρίδα POxy. 234 ii 12 (ii/iii A.D.); of animals, gather themselves together, in preparing to spring, ς. ἑαυτὸν ὥσπερ θηρίον Pl. R. 336b; ς. τὸν αὐχένα, of one struggling to get loose, Eup. 339; τὰ ὄμματα διὰ κενῆς, ὡς εἴ τι βλέπων, ξυνέστρεφε screwed up his eyes, Hp. Epid. 7.83; συστρέψαι ἑαυτούς, of dolphins, Arist. HA 631a27; [ τὸ χόριον] ς. περὶ αὑτὸ τὴν ὑστέραν Sor. 1.71: - Pass., εἰ τὸ χόριον εἰς αὑτὸ συνεστραμμένον εἴη ib. 73; συνεστραμμένη χείρ clenched fist, ib. 102; of a whirlwind, Men. 536.4; of the moon, dub. sens. in Palchus in Cat.Cod.Astr. 8(1).250.
II of soldiers, ς. ἑωυτούς form in a compact body, for attack or defence, collect themselves, rally, Hdt. 9.18; ς. εἰς ταὐτό (sc. τὰς ἵππους) Arist. HA 572b14: freq. in Pass., συστραφέντες in a body, Hdt. 4.136, 6.6, cf. 40; συστρεφόμενοι Id. 9.62, Th. 7.30; ξυνεστρέφοντο ἐν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς Id. 2.4; ὅσον.. ἦν ξυνεστραμμένον ibid.; ἐπὶ πεντήκοντα ἀσπίδων συνεστραμμένοι ἦσαν they were formed in a mass 50 deep, X. HG 6.4.12; so of bees, fishes, Arist. HA 629a19, 621a16.
2. of soldiers, also, συστρέφειν ἐπὶ δόρυ wheel them to the right, v.l. in X. Lac. 13.6; so prob. ς. τὸν ἵππον turn him sharply, Plu. Pyrrh. 16; ς. τὴν ὄψιν Satyr. 3.
III form into an organized whole, unite, τὸ Μηδικὸν ἔθνος Hdt. 1.101; τοὺς τὰς οὐσίας ἔχοντας Arist. Pol. 1304b23: - Pass., club together, conspire, Th. 4.68, 8.54; ἐπ’ ἐμὲ συστραφέντες ἥκουσι Aeschin. 2.178, cf. LXX [2Ki 10:9]: - in Act., ib. [1Ki 16:9]. Pass., collect, gather, ς. αἷμα ἐς.. Hp. Aph. 5.40; νιφετοῦ συστραφέντος Arist. Mu. 394b2; of humours, gather, come to a head, φύματος συστραφέντος Hp. Prog. 23; of gravel collecting in the bladder, Id. Aër. 9. make the hair curl, Theodect. 17.3: - Pass., συνεστραμμένα ξύλα knotted, gnarled, Thphr. HP 3.11.2; ς. ῥίζα Id. CP 1.3.3; κιττὸς συνεστραμμένος ταῖς ῥίζαις Id. HP 3.18.9. condense, congeal, harden, τὸ ψυχρὸν συστρέφον καὶ συσφίγγον Ath. 2.41b; of condensing fluids by heat, ἐν ἡλίῳ Dsc. 3.7 (Act. and Pass.), cf. Gal. 12.834, Aët. 7.91; τὰ γυμνάσια τὰς σάρκας ς. Antyll. ap. Orib. 6.10.15: - Pass., to be condensed, acquire substance or consistency, ἀφρὸς ς. Arist. HA 569b18; esp. in pf. part. Pass., σπέρμα ξηρὸν καὶ συνεστραμμένον ib. 523a24; νέφος ἐστὶ πάχος ἀτμῶδες ς. Id. Mu. 394a27; πῦρ ς. concentrated, Epicur. Ephesians 1 p.28U.; compact, ς. τὸ εὐπαγές Phld. Po.Herc. 994.34; σωμάτιον ς. Arr. Epict. 1.24.8; συστρέφεσθαι καὶ ἀπεψῦχθαι, of an infant, Sor. 1.108; γάλα μελιτοειδῶς συστραφέν ib. 91. of sentences, narratives, and the like, bring into a close form, compress, ἐὰν μὴ συστρέφῃ τὰ πράγματα Cratin. 85; ἐνθυμήματα ς. Arist. Rh. 1419a19; ς. τὰ νοήματα, τὸν νοῦν ἐν ὀλίγοις ὀνόμασι, D.H. Isoc. 11, Pomp. 2.5: abs., συστρέψας γράφει writes briefly, curtly, Aeschin. 3.100; ς. εἰπεῖν τὸ πρᾶγμα D.H. Lys. 24: - freq. in Pass., ῥῆμα βραχὺ καὶ συνεστραμμένον a short and pithy saying, of the Spartans, Pl. Prt. 342e; λέξις συνεστραμμένη, opp. διῃρημένη, D.H. Rh. 5.7; ἡ Ἀττικὴ γλῶσσα ς. τι ἔχει Demetr. Eloc. 177; συνέστραπται τοῖς νοήμασι D.H. Lys. 5. cf. Dem. 19. also, speak or write in an involved style, twist one’s words, Antiph. 52.17, 217.17.