Distract (verb)

1. To draw (the attention) away from something; to divert.
2. To cause to become scattered or dispersed.

Origin:

From latin distractus, past participle of distrahere ("to draw apart, pull in different directions"), from dis- ("apart") + trahere ("to pull").

Examples:

1. The loud noise distracted me from my work.
2. She was easily distracted by her phone during class.
3. He used a magic trick to distract the guard while he stole the jewels.
4. The bright colors of the room were designed to distract the attention from the small size of the space.
5. The storm distracted the attention of the sailors from the approaching reef.