Definition of distraction

The word "distraction" has its roots in Latin. The Latin word "distrahere" means "to draw away" or "to divert," and it's a combination of "dis-" (meaning "away" or "apart") and "tractus" (meaning "drawing" or "pulling"). In Latin, the word "distractio" referred to the act of drawing one's attention away from something else, often in a negative sense. The word "distraction" was borrowed into Middle English from Old French, where it was spelled "distraicio." The first recorded use of the word in English dates back to the 14th century. Over time, the meaning of the word has expanded to include not only the act of diverting one's attention but also the things or activities that cause such distraction. Today, the word is commonly used to describe anything that takes one's attention away from a task or responsibility.