στρέφω
I. "to turn about or aside, turn", Hom., etc.; στρ. ἵππους "to turn or guide" horses, Il.; στρ. σάκος "to sway" the shield, Soph.
II. ἄνω καὶ κάτω στρ. "to turn" upside down, Aesch., Plat.; so, κάτω στρ. Soph.; so, στρέφειν alone, "to overturn, upset", Eur.
III. "to twist" a rope, Xen.
2. metaph. of pain, "to twist, torture", Ar., Plat.
IV. "to twist, plait", ἐστραμμένα Xen.: "to spin", Luc.
V. metaph. "to turn" a thing "over" in one's mind, τί στρέφω τάδε; Eur., Dem.
VI. "to turn from the right course, divert, embezzle", Lys.
B. Pass. and Mid. "to turn oneself, to turn round or about, turn to and fro", Il.; ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα στρέφεσθαι, of one "tossing" in bed, id=Il.
2. "to turn to or from" an object, "to turn back, return", id=Il., Soph.; στραφέντες ἔφευγον Xen.
3. of the heavenly bodies, "to revolve", Od.; of the distaff, Plat.
II. "to twist about", like a wrestler trying to elude his adversary; so, in argument, "to twist and turn, shuffle", τί ταῦτα στρέφει; why "d'ye shuffle" so? Ar.; τί δῆτα ἔχων στρέφει; why then "do you" keep shuffling, Plat.; πάσας στροφὰς στρέφεσθαι "to twist" every way, id=Plat.
2. "to turn and change", Soph.; τοῦ δὲ σοῦ ψόφου οὐκ ἂν στραφείην "I would" not "turn for" any noise of thine, id=Soph.
III. "to twist oneself up with" a thing, "stick close" to it, Od.:—then, like Lat. versari, to be always engaged, Plat.
2. generally, "to be at large, go about" Soph.
3. ἐστραμμένος, η, ον, of places, ἐστρ. ἐπὶ τόπον "turned" towards, Polyb.
C. in strict Mid. sense, "to turn about with oneself, take back", Soph.
D. intr. in Act., like Pass. "to turn about", Il.; of soldiers, "to wheel about", Xen.