distract

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrahō (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trahō (“to pull”).

verb

1. (transitive) To divert the attention of.
   The crowd was distracted by a helicopter hovering over the stadium when the only goal of the game was scored.
   While Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had warned his players against letting the pre-match festivities distract them from the task at hand, they clearly struggled for fluency early on. December 10, 2011, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1-0 Everton”, in BBC Sport
   Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee. 2013-06-29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55
   I eschew the idea of plugging in my laptop to take notes and resort to old-fashioned pen and paper instead, so that I can enjoy more of the view and not be distracted by bashing a keyboard. December 2 2020, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 65
2. (transitive) To make crazy or insane; to drive to distraction.

adj

1. (obsolete) Separated; drawn asunder.
2. (obsolete) Insane; mad.
   (Alone shee beeing left the spoyle of love and death, In labour of her griefe outrageously distract, The utmost of her spleene on her false lord to act) 1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion, song 6 p. 3