Dis-trăc'tion, n.

n. [Lat. distractio, from distrahere; Fr. distraction, Sp. distraccion, It. distrazione. See supra.]

1. The act of distracting; a drawing apart; separation; a diversion. “To create distractions among us.” Burnet.
2. A diversity of direction. [Obs.]

His power went out in such distractions as Beguiled all spies. Shak. 3. Confusion of attention; embarrassment; perplexity. That ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. I Cor. vii. 35. 4. Confusion of affairs; tumult; disorder; as, political distractions. Never was known a night of such distraction. Dryden. 5. Agitation from violent emotions; perturbation of mind. The distraction of the children, who saw both their parents expiring together, would have melted the hardest heart. Tatler. 6. A state of disordered reason; derangement; madness. Atterbury. Syn.—Perplexity; disturbance; disorder; dissension; tumult; derangement; madness; raving; franticness; furiousness.