Main Entry: de·tract

Pronunciation: \di-ˈtrakt, dē-\

Function: verb

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere to pull down, disparage, from de- + trahere to draw

Date: 15th century

transitive verb 1 archaic : to speak ill of
2 archaic : to take away
3 : divert <detract attention>intransitive verb : to diminish the importance, value, or effectiveness of something —often used with from <small errors that do not seriously detract from the book>

— de·trac·tor \-ˈtrak-tər\ noun