Adjacent Words

Divert definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DIVERT, v.t. [L., to turn.]
1. To turn off from any course, direction or intended application; to turn aside; as, to divert a river from its usual channel; to divert commerce from its usual course; to divert appropriated money to other objects; to divert a man from his purpose.
2. To turn the mind from business or study; hence, to please; to amuse; to entertain; to exhilarate. Children are diverted with sports; men are diverted with works of wit and humor; low minds are diverted with buffoonery in stage-playing.
3. To draw the forces of an enemy to a different point.
4. To subvert. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: turn aside; turn away from [syn: deviate, divert]
2: send on a course or in a direction different from the planned or intended one
3: occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion; "The play amused the ladies" [syn: amuse, divert, disport]
4: withdraw (money) and move into a different location, often secretly and with dishonest intentions [syn: divert, hive off]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French divertir, from Latin divertere to turn in opposite directions, from dis- + vertere to turn — more at worth Date: 15th century intransitive verb to turn aside ; deviate <studied law but diverted to diplomacy> transitive verb 1. a. to turn from one course or use to another ; deflect <divert traffic to a side street> b. distract <trying to divert her attention> 2. to give pleasure to especially by distracting the attention from what burdens or distresses Synonyms: see amuse

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 (often foll. by from, to) a turn aside; deflect. b draw the attention of; distract. 2 (often as diverting adj.) entertain; amuse. Derivatives: divertingly adv. Etymology: ME f. F divertir f. L divertere (as DI-(2), vertere turn)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Divert Di*vert", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Diverted; p. pr. & vb. n. Diverting.] [F. divertir, fr. L. divertere, diversum, to go different ways, turn aside; di- = dis- + vertere to turn. See Verse, and cf. Divorce.] 1. To turn aside; to turn off from any course or intended application; to deflect; as, to divert a river from its channel; to divert commerce from its usual course. That crude apple that diverted Eve. --Milton. 2. To turn away from any occupation, business, or study; to cause to have lively and agreeable sensations; to amuse; to entertain; as, children are diverted with sports; men are diverted with works of wit and humor. We are amused by a tale, diverted by a comedy. --C. J. Smith. Syn: To please; gratify; amuse; entertain; exhilarate; delight; recreate. See Amuse.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Divert Di*vert", v. i. To turn aside; to digress. [Obs.] I diverted to see one of the prince's palaces. --Evelyn.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(diverts, diverting, diverted) 1. To divert vehicles or travellers means to make them follow a different route or go to a different destination than they originally intended. You can also say that someone or something diverts from a particular route or to a particular place. (BRIT; in AM, use detour) ...Rainham Marshes, east London, where a new bypass will divert traffic from the A13... We diverted a plane to rescue 100 passengers... She insists on diverting to a village close to the airport... VERB: V n from/to n, V n, V from/to n 2. To divert money or resources means to cause them to be used for a different purpose. The government is trying to divert more public funds from west to east. VERB: V n prep/adv, also V n 3. To divert a phone call means to send it to a different number or place from the one that was dialled by the person making the call. He instructed switchboard staff to divert all Laura's calls to him. VERB: V n prep/adv, also V n 4. If you say that someone diverts your attention from something important or serious, you disapprove of them behaving or talking in a way that stops you thinking about it. They want to divert the attention of the people from the real issues. = distract VERB: V n prep/adv [disapproval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Turn aside, draw away. 2. Call off, distract, draw away, disturb. 3. Amuse, entertain, recreate, please, gratify, delight, exhilarate, refresh.

Moby Thesaurus

absorb, abstract, abuse, alter, amuse, avert, befoul, beguile, bend, bias, blunt, call away, change, change course, chill, convert, convulse, cool, crook, curve, damp, dampen, debase, defalcate, defile, deflect, delight, depart, desecrate, detach, deter, detract, detract attention, deviate, diffract, diffuse, disaffect, discourage, disengage, disincline, disinterest, disperse, distort, distract, diverge, divert the mind, dogleg, embezzle, engage, enliven, entertain, exhilarate, foul, fracture one, gladden, hairpin, indispose, interest, kill, knock dead, loosen up, maladminister, misapply, misappropriate, misemploy, mishandle, mismanage, misuse, modify, occupy, peculate, pervert, pilfer, pivot, please, pollute, profane, prostitute, pull, put off, quench, raise a laugh, raise a smile, recreate, redirect, refract, refresh, regale, relax, repel, scatter, sheer, shift, sidetrack, skew, slay, solace, swerve, switch, tickle, titillate, turn, turn aside, turn away, turn from, turn off, twist, veer, violate, volte-face, warp, wean from, wheel, whip, whirl, wow, zigzag