different between access vs distraction

English

Etymology 1

• First attested in the early 14th century.
• (entrance): First attested about 1380.
• From Middle English accesse, acces, from Middle French acces (“attack, onslaught”) or from its source Latin accessus, perfect passive participle of acc?d? (“approach; accede”), from ad (“to, toward, at”) + c?d? (“move, yield”). Doublet of accessus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?æks?s/
• (General American) enPR: ?k?s?s', IPA^(key): /?æk?s?s/
• Hyphenation: ac?cess

Noun

access (countable and uncountable, plural accesses)

1. (uncountable) A way or means of approaching or entering; an entrance; a passage.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     All access was thronged.

2. (uncountable) The act of approaching or entering; an advance.
3. (uncountable) The right or ability of approaching or entering; admittance; admission; accessibility.
4. (uncountable) The quality of being easy to approach or enter.
   • c. 1600, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet Act 2 Scene 1

     I did repel his fetters, and denied His access to me. - Shakespeare, Hamlet, II-i
5. (uncountable) Admission to sexual intercourse.
   • 1760s, William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England

     During coverture, access of the husband shall be presumed, unless the contrary be shown.

6. (archaic, countable) An increase by addition; accession
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     I, from the influence of thy looks, receive access in every virtue.

7. (countable) An onset, attack, or fit of disease; an ague fit.

   • The first access looked like an apoplexy.

8. (countable) An outburst of an emotion; a paroxysm; a fit of passion
   • 1946, Arnold J. Toynbee, A Study of History (Abridgement of Volumes I-VI by D.C. Somervell)

     It appears that, about the middle of the fourth century of the Christian Era, the Germans in the Roman service started the new practice of retaining their native names; and this change of etiquette, which seems to have been abrupt, points to a sudden access of self-confidence and self-assurance in the souls of the barbarian personnel which had previously been content to 'go Roman' without reservations.

9. (uncountable, law) The right of a noncustodial parent to visit their child.
10. (uncountable, computing) The process of locating data in memory.
11. (uncountable, networking) Connection to or communication with a computer program or to the Internet.

Usage notes

• (outburst, paroxysm): sometimes confused with excess.

Derived terms

• access day
• direct access
• random access
• remote access

Related terms

Translations

Etymology 2

• First attested in 1962.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?æks?s/, /?k?s?s/
• (General American) enPR: ?k?s?s', ?k-s?s?, IPA^(key): /?æk?s?s/, /?k?s?s/
• Hyphenation: ac?cess

Verb

access (third-person singular simple present accesses, present participle accessing, simple past and past participle accessed)

1. (transitive) To gain or obtain access to.
2. (transitive, computing) To have access to (data).

   I can't access most of the data on the computer without a password.

Translations

References

• access in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• access in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• access at OneLook Dictionary Search
• access in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French distraction, from Latin distractio.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /d?s?t?æk?(?)n/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /d?s?t?æk??n/, /d?-/
• Rhymes: -æk??n
• Hyphenation: dis?tract?ion

Noun

distraction (countable and uncountable, plural distractions)

1. Something that distracts.

2. The process of being distracted.

3. Perturbation; disorder; disturbance; confusion.
   • 1662, Thomas Salusbury, Galileo's dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (Dialogue 2):

     It's true that the Copernican Systeme introduceth distraction in the universe of Aristotle.

4. Mental disorder; a deranged state of mind; insanity.
   • 1673, Richard Baxter, Christian Directory

     […] if he speak the words of an oath in a strange language, thinking they signify something else, or if he spake in his sleep, or deliration, or distraction, it is no oath, and so not obligatory.

5. (medicine, archaic) Traction so exerted as to separate surfaces normally opposed.

Derived terms

• distracter
• distractee

Translations

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “distraction”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN

Anagrams

• adstriction

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin distracti?, distracti?nem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis.t?ak.sj??/

Noun

distraction f (plural distractions)

1. distraction
2. entertainment

Related terms

• distraire

Further reading

• “distraction” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).