Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DIS-TIN'GUISH-ER, n.

1. He or that which distinguishes, or that separates one thing from another by marks of diversity. – Brown.
2. One who discerns accurately the difference of things; a nice or judicious observer. Dryden.

DIS-TIN'GUISH-ING, ppr.

1. Separating from others by a note of diversity; ascertaining difference by a mark.
2. Ascertaining, knowing, or perceiving a difference.
3. adj. Constituting difference, or distinction from every thing else; peculiar; as, the distinguishing doctrines of Christianity.

DIS-TIN'GUISH-ING-LY, adv.

With distinction; with some mark of preference. – Pope.

DIS-TIN'GUISH-MENT, n.

Distinction; observation of difference. – Graunt.

DIS-TI'TLE, v.t.

To deprive of right. – B. Jonson.

DIS-TI'TLED, pp.

Deprived of right.

DIS-TI'TLING, ppr.

Depriving of right.

DIS-TORT', a.

Distorted. – Spenser.

DIS-TORT', v.t. [L. distortus, distorqueo; dis and torqueo, to twist, Fr. tordre, Sp. torcer.]

1. To twist out of natural or regular shape; as, to distort the neck, the limbs, or the body; to distort the features.
2. To force or put out of the true posture or direction. Wrath and malice, envy and revenge distort the understanding. – Tillotson.
3. To wrest from the true meaning; to pervert; as, to distort passages of Scripture, or their meaning.

DIS-TORT'ED, pp.

Twisted out of natural or regular shape; wrested; perverted.

DIS-TORT'ING, ppr.

Twisting out of shape; wresting; perverting.

DIS-TOR'TION, n. [L. distortio.]

1. The act of distorting or wresting; a twisting out of regular shape; a twisting or writhing motion; as, the distortions of the face or body.
2. The state of being twisted out of shape; deviation from natural shape or position; crookedness; grimace.
3. A perversion of the true meaning of words.

DIS-TRACT', a.

Mad. [Not in use.]

DIS-TRACT', v.t. [L. distractus, distraho; dis and traho, to draw. See Draw and Drag. The old participle distraught is obsolete.]

1. Literally, to draw apart; to pull in different directions, and separate. Hence, to divide; to separate; and hence, to throw into confusion. Sometimes in a literal sense. Contradictory or mistaken orders may distract an army.
2. To turn or draw from any object; to divert from any point, toward another point, or toward various other objects; as, to distract the eye or the attention. If he can not avoid the eye of the observer, he hopes to distract it by a multiplicity of the object. – South.
3. To draw toward different objects; to fill with different considerations; to perplex; to confound; to harass; as, to distract the mind with cares; you distract me with your clamor. While I suffer thy terrors, I am distracted. – Ps. lxxxviii.
4. To disorder the reason; to derange the regular operations of intellect; to render raving or furious; most frequently used in the participle distracted.

DIS-TRACT'ED, pp.

1. Drawn apart; drawn in different directions; diverted from its object; perplexed; harassed; confounded.
2. adj. Deranged; disordered in intellect; raving; furious; mad; frantic. – Locke.

DIS-TRACT'ED-LY, adv.

Madly; furiously; wildly. – Shak.

DIS-TRACT'ED-NESS, n.

A state of being mad; madness. – Bp. Hall.

DIS-TRACT'ER, n.

One who distracts. – More.

DIS-TRACT'ING, ppr.

Drawing apart; separating; diverting from an object; perplexing; harassing; disordering the intellect.

DIS-TRAC'TION, n. [L. distractio.]

1. The act of distracting; a drawing apart; separation.
2. Confusion from multiplicity of objects crowding on the mind and calling the attention different ways; perturbation of mind; perplexity; as, the family was in a state of distraction. [See 1 Cor. vii.]
3. Confusion of affairs; tumult; disorder; as, political distractions. Never was known a night of such distraction. – Dryden.
4. Madness; a state of disordered reason; franticness; furiousness. [We usually apply this word to a state of derangement which produces raving and violence in the patient.]
5. Folly in the extreme, or amounting to insanity. On the supposition of the truth of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, irreligion is nothing better than distraction. – Buckminster.

DIS-TRACT'IVE, a.

Causing perplexity; as, distractive cares. – Dryden.

DIS-TRAIN', v.i.

To make seizure of goods. On whom I can not distrain for debt. – Camden. For neglecting to do suit to the lord's court, or other personal service, the lord may distrain of common right. Blackstone. [In this phrase, however, some word seems to be understood; as, to distrain goods.]

DIS-TRAIN', v.t. [L. distringo; dis and stringo. See Strain. Blackstone writes distrein.]

1. To seize for debt; to take a personal chattel from the possession of a wrong-doer into the possession of the injured party, to satisfy a demand, or compel the performance of a duty; as, to distrain goods for rent, or for an amercement.
2. To rend; to tear. [Obs.] – Spenser.

DIS-TRAIN'A-BLE, a.

That is liable to be taken for distress. – Blackstone.

DIS-TRAIN'ED, pp.

Seized for debt or to compel the performance of duty.