A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1678
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Distract, v. [ME. distracte (Wyclif), L. distract-, ppl. stem of distrahere. In Eng. only tr.] intr. To become mentally deranged. — 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. x. § 9.
It was libel'd against Janet Cock, September 7. 1661. that a woman called Spindie being at enmity with her, she gave her a cuff, whereupon Spindie immediatly distracted
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"Distract v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/distract>
