Crossword clues for distraction
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Distraction \Dis*trac"tion\, n. [L. distractio: cf. F. distraction.]
-
The act of distracting; a drawing apart; separation.
To create distractions among us.
--Bp. Burnet. That which diverts attention; a diversion. ``Domestic distractions.''
--G. Eliot.-
A diversity of direction; detachment. [Obs.]
His power went out in such distractions as Beguiled all species.
--Shak. -
State in which the attention is called in different ways; confusion; perplexity.
That ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
--1 Cor. vii. 3 -
5. Confusion of affairs; tumult; disorder; as, political distractions.
Never was known a night of such distraction.
--Dryden. -
Agitation from violent emotions; perturbation of mind; despair.
The distraction of the children, who saw both their parents together, would have melted the hardest heart.
--Tatler. -
Derangement of the mind; madness.
--Atterbury.Syn: Perplexity; confusion; disturbance; disorder; dissension; tumult; derangement; madness; raving; franticness; furiousness.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
mid-15c., "the drawing away of the mind," from Latin distractionem (nominative distractio) "a pulling apart, separating," noun of action from past participle stem of distrahere (see distract). Meaning "mental disturbance" (in driven to distraction, etc.) is c.1600. Meaning "a thing or fact that distracts" is from 1610s.
Wiktionary
n. Something that distracts.
WordNet
n. mental turmoil; "he drives me to distraction"
an obstacle to attention
an entertainment that provokes pleased interest and distracts you from worries and vexations [syn: beguilement]
the act of distracting; drawing someone's attention away from something; "conjurers are experts at misdirection" [syn: misdirection]
Wikipedia
Distraction is the second album by experimental rock outfit Bear Hands.
Distraction is the process of diverting the attention of an individual or group from the desired area of focus and thereby blocking or diminishing the reception of desired information. Distraction is caused by: the lack of ability to pay attention; lack of interest in the object of attention; or the great intensity, novelty or attractiveness of something other than the object of attention. Distractions come from both external sources, and internal sources. External distractions include factors such as visual triggers, social interactions, music, text messages, and phone calls. There are also internal distractions such as hunger, fatigue, illness, worrying, and daydreaming. Both external and internal distractions contribute to the interference of focus.
Distraction is a game show that aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 31 October 2003 to 11 June 2004. Presented by comedian Jimmy Carr, the show involved contestants answering questions while being distracted in various bizarre, painful and humiliating ways.
Carr was aided by "distractors", who as the name suggests, attempted to distract the contestants painfully or emotionally. Examples include losing contestants, nudists, creepy carny guys, tattoo/ piercing experts, wrestlers, midgets, Roller Derby girls, professional athletes, paintball players, and a large bouncer-type male nicknamed "Tiny". Occasionally, a number of female assistants helped with some of the distractions; depending on the stunt being played, they could be referred to as "Jimmy's interns", "farmer girls", "schoolgirls" or "ammo ladies."
A quiz book, featuring most of the distractions seen on the show, was released by Carlton Books in late 2004.
Usage examples of "distraction".
When Tom and Royenne began muttering to each other and pointing at the forward port monitor at a glimpse of the Canadian entry Bluenose IV, Kirk took their distraction as an opportunity.
She was frowning as she looked up, but abstractedly, as if the worst news Claus might be bringing them would be of some potential distraction from their work.
She was frowning as she looked up, but abstractedly, as if the worst news Claus might be bringing them would be of some potential distraction from then-work.
There is one end of the room where it is almost intact, and there, when the crosslights fade and the low sun shines directly upon it, I can almost fancy radiation after all,--the interminable grotesques seem to form around a common centre and rush off in headlong plunges of equal distraction.
A lifetime of compulsive overwork, too little distraction and relaxation, an -attempt at marriage that had never had a hope, and unceasing battles with meddling intellectual dwarfs whose only purpose in life seemed to be to frustrate his goals had left him with a Damoclean blood pressure that threatened to smite him at any time, and an accompanying heart condition that made any excitement an invitation to a terminal attack.
Rumsfeld, the JCS chief told associates, had been a Navy fighter pilot, seemed partial to the Navy and the Marines, and was biased against the Army because it had mechanized forces and had taken on Balkan peacekeeping missions that the Bush administration considered to be a distraction.
The abbot sailed out with a fine stern expression on his face and his guests quite red with consternation behind him, but Iso kept pulling on him and his quiet pleading dragged Alain out of his distraction.
The food was good, and its ambience was a little less stuffy than some Istrian cities, though she did not like its lord, and keeping track of the lads in a town that contained quite so many distractions could prove to be something of a problem.
He alone wore all of his leathers, and the distraction of the two males brought me a good deal of annoyance.
Leaving the mammut, he slouched toward the new noise, alert for signs of movement, his heart pounding at his own stupid distraction.
There was no expression of pain on his face, the discipline of metalcrafting allowing him to ignore distractions such as agony and weariness.
Its very agony is worth a trillion happy magics and a million believing myths, and yet its only consolation is its unrelenting paina pain, a dread, an emptiness that feels beyond the comforts and distractions of the body, the persona, the ego, looks bravely into the face of the Void, and can no longer explain away either the Mystery or the Terror.
It was a distraction that might render Lady Niu less cooperative, and himself more likely to make a misstep.
I suspect that the fellow who passes for her husband is a rascal, and that her pretended melancholy is put on to drive a persistent lover to distraction.
The early Christian hermits retired to the Thebaid because its air was purer, because there were fewer distractions, because God seemed nearer there than in the world of men.