divert

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /daɪˈvɜːt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /daɪˈvɝt/, /dɪˈvɝt/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)t

• Audio (US)

  (file)

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.

2. (transitive) To distract.

   Don't let him divert your attention; keep your eye on the ball.

   • [1644], [John Milton], Of Education. To Master Samuel Hartlib, [London: […] Thomas Underhill and/or Thomas Johnson], OCLC 946735316:

     that crude apple that diverted Eve

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.

4. (obsolete, intransitive) To turn aside; to digress.
   • 1641 September 7, John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 28 August 1641 (Julian calendar)]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […] , volume I, 2nd edition, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1819, OCLC 976971842:

     I diverted to see one of the prince's palaces.

Synonyms

• (to lead away from a course): offlead

Related terms

• diversion
• diversity
• diverse

Translations

turn aside

• Azerbaijani: kənara çəkmək, qırağa çəkmək, tərəfə çəkmək
• Bulgarian: отклонявам (bg) (otklonjavam)
• Catalan: desviar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 轉向 (zh), 转向 (zh) (zhuǎnxiàng)

• Finnish: poiketa (fi)
• French: dévier (fr)

• German: umlenken (de), umleiten (de)
• Greek: εκτρέπω (el) (ektrépo)
• Italian: deviare (it)
• Latin: diverto
• Maori: whakapeau, whakahipa
• Russian: отводи́ть (ru) impf (otvodítʹ), отвести́ (ru) pf (otvestí), отклоня́ть (ru) impf (otklonjátʹ), отклони́ть (ru) pf (otklonítʹ)
• Spanish: desviar (es)

distract

• Azerbaijani: yayındırmaq
• Bulgarian: отвличам (bg) (otvličam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 轉移 (zh), 转移 (zh) (zhuǎnyí)

• Finnish: harhauttaa (fi), hämätä (fi)
• German: ablenken (de)

• Greek: αποσπώ (el) (apospó)
• Ido: distraktar (io)
• Italian: distrarre (it)
• Russian: отвлека́ть (ru) impf (otvlekátʹ), отвле́чь (ru) pf (otvléčʹ)
• Spanish: entretener (es), distraer (es), desviar (es)
• Swedish: avleda (sv)

entertain

• Azerbaijani: əyləndirmək
• Bulgarian: забавлявам (bg) (zabavljavam), развличам (bg) (razvličam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 遣悶 (zh), 遣闷 (zh) (qiǎnmèn)

• Finnish: viihdyttää (fi)
• French: divertir (fr)

• Greek: διασκεδάζω (el) (diaskedázo)
• Ido: distraktar (io), amuzar (io)
• Italian: divertirsi (it), distrarsi (it)
• Russian: развлека́ть (ru) impf (razvlekátʹ), развле́чь (ru) pf (razvléčʹ), забавля́ть (ru) impf (zabavljátʹ), позаба́вить (ru) pf (pozabávitʹ)
• Spanish: distraer (es)

Further reading

• divert in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• divert in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• verdit