different between harry vs distract

English

Etymology

From Middle English herien, harien (compare Walloon hairyî, old French hairier, harier), from Old English her?ian, from Proto-Germanic *harj?n? (compare Saterland Frisian ferheerje, German verheeren (“to harry, devastate”), Swedish härja (“ravage, harry”)), from *harjaz (“army”) (compare Old English here, West Frisian hear, Dutch heer, German Heer), from Proto-Indo-European *koryos (compare Middle Irish cuire (“army”), Lithuanian kãrias (“army; war”), Old Church Slavonic ???? (kara, “strife”), Ancient Greek ???????? (koíranos, “chief, commander”), Old Persian [script needed] (k?ra, “army”)). More at here (“army”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /hæ?i/, /h??i/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /hæ?i/
• Rhymes: -æ?i

Verb

harry (third-person singular simple present harries, present participle harrying, simple past and past participle harried) (transitive)

1. To plunder, pillage, assault.
2. To make repeated attacks on an enemy.
   • 1906, Alfred Noyes, The Highwayman:

     "One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,

     But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;

     Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,

     Then look for me by moonlight,

     Watch for me by moonlight,

     I'll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell should bar the way."

3. To strip, lay waste, ravage.

   • to harry this beautiful region

   • 1896, John Burroughs, Birds and bees and other studies in nature

     A red squirrel had harried the nest of a wood thrush.

4. To harass, bother or distress with demands, threats, or criticism.

Derived terms

• harrier

Translations

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From the English name Harry.

Adjective

harry (indeclinable)

1. (slang, derogatory) cheesy, shabby, kitschy

Derived terms

• harrytur
• harryhandel

References

• “harry” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From the English name Harry.

Adjective

harry (indeclinable)

1. (slang, derogatory) cheesy, shabby, kitschy

Derived terms

• harrytur
• harryhandel

References

• “harry” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin distractus, from distrah? (“to pull apart”), from dis- + trah? (“to pull”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?s?t?ækt/
• Rhymes: -ækt

Verb

distract (third-person singular simple present distracts, present participle distracting, simple past and past participle distracted)

1. (transitive) To divert the attention of.
2. (transitive) To make crazy or insane; to drive to distraction.

Related terms

• distracted
• distractible
• distracting
• distraction

Translations

Adjective

distract (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Separated; drawn asunder.
2. (obsolete) Insane; mad.
   • 1612, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion song 6 p. 3[1]:

     (Alone shee beeing left the spoyle of love and death,

     In labour of her griefe outrageously distract,

     The utmost of her spleene on her false lord to act)

See also

• distraught

Anagrams

• adstrict