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divert

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology

From Middle English diverten, Old French divertir (“to turn or go different ways, part, separate, divert”), from Latin di- (“apart”) + vertere (“to turn”); see verse.

Pronunciation

Verb

divert (third-person singular simple present diverts, present participle diverting, simple past and past participle diverted)

  1. (transitive) To turn aside from a course.
    The workers diverted the stream away from the road.
    • 1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 99:
      Many of the remaining trains have been retimed and where possible freight trains have also been diverted to alternative routes.
    • 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 224, about Hertingfordbury:
      Until the main road from Hatfield to Hertford was diverted a few years ago, heavy lorries trundling through the village sometimes knocked chunks off corner buildings, but now the village has regained much of its former tranquillity.
  2. (transitive) To distract.
    Don't let him divert your attention; keep your eye on the ball.
  3. (transitive) To entertain or amuse (by diverting the attention)
    • 1871, Charles John Smith, Synonyms Discriminated:
      We are amused by a tale, diverted by a comedy.
    • 1973 December 29, Jonathan Cross, “The Fag In The Fifth Row”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 28, page 4:
      But somehow, despite wooden, unfunny dialogue, rigid characterization, and the dreadful mindless meaninglessness of it all, Good News manages to divert us for its three hours.
  4. (obsolete, intransitive) To turn aside; to digress.

Synonyms

  • (to lead away from a course): offlead

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

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