Definition of "distraction" []

• The act of distracting or the condition of being distracted. (noun)
• Something, especially an amusement, that distracts. (noun)
• Extreme mental or emotional disturbance; obsession: loved the puppy to distraction. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "And right before that announcement finished, the police launched not just tear gas, but also what they call distraction devices, things that are designed to make a lot of noise."
• "BROWN: So Barack Obama is again hoping to get what he calls the distraction of Jeremiah Wright behind him."
• "The key to keeping my opponent off his game is to control the game with what I call a distraction point."