DIGRESSION

digression, excursion

(noun) wandering from the main path of a journey

diversion, deviation, digression, deflection, deflexion, divagation

(noun) a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern); “a diversion from the main highway”; “a digression into irrelevant details”; “a deflection from his goal”

digression, aside, excursus, divagation, parenthesis

(noun) a message that departs from the main subject

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

digression (countable and uncountable, plural digressions)

An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.

(generally uncountable) The act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing, (rhetoric) particularly for rhetorical effect.

(obsolete) A deviancy, a sin or error, an act of straying from the path of righteousness or a general rule.

(now rare) A deviation, an act of straying from a path.

(astronomy, physics) An elongation, a deflection or deviation from a mean position or expected path.

Synonyms

• (rhetorical device): digressio, ecbole

Source: Wiktionary

Di*gres"sion, n. Etym: [L. digressio: cf. F. digression.]

1. The act of digressing or deviating, esp. from the main subject of a discourse; hence, a part of a discourse deviating from its main design or subject. The digressions I can not excuse otherwise, than by the confidence that no man will read them. Sir W. Temple.

2. A turning aside from the right path; transgression; offense. [R.] Then my digression is so vile, so base, That it will live engraven in my face. Shak.

3. (Anat.)

Definition: The elongation, or angular distance from the sun; -- said chiefly of the inferior planets. [R.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition