distract

DISTRACT, verb transitive [Latin , to draw. See draw and drag. The old participle distraught is obsolete.] 1. Literally, to draw apart; to pull in different directions, and separate. Hence, to divide; to separate; and hence, to throw into confusion. Sometimes in a literal sense. Contradictory or mistaken orders may distract an army. 2. To turn or draw from any object; to divert from any point, towards another point or toward various other objects; as, to distract the eye or the attention. If he cannot avoid the eye of the observer, he hopes to distract it by a multiplicity of the object. 3. To draw towards different objects; to fill with different considerations; to perplex; to confound; to harass; as, to distract the mind with cares; you distract me with your clamor. While I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted. Psalms 88:15. 4. To disorder the reason; the derange the regular operations of intellect; to render raving or furious; most frequently used in the participle distracted. DISTRACT, adjective Mad. [Not in use.]