A distraction was the act of diverting attention away from a desired focus.
The mummified remains of Vulcan master Haadok and two other Vulcans were dressed in ancient robes. Similar the Vulcan monks at the monastery at P'Jem were dressed in robes. Captain Jonathan Archer joked that their robes haven't been washed since the time of Surak while creating a distraction for the Andorians. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident")