Refrain

[Re*frain·]

When someone burps in a quiet classroom it can be hard to refrain from laughing. Use the verb refrain if you have a sudden impulse to do something, and you have stopped yourself from doing it.

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To hold back; to restrain; to keep within prescribed bounds; to curb; to govern.

Noun
the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers

Verb
choose no to consume; "I abstain from alcohol"

Verb
not do something; "He refrained from hitting him back"; "she could not forbear weeping"

v. t.
To hold back; to restrain; to keep within prescribed bounds; to curb; to govern.

v. t.
To abstain from

v. i.
To keep one's self from action or interference; to hold aloof; to forbear; to abstain.

v.
The burden of a song; a phrase or verse which recurs at the end of each of the separate stanzas or divisions of a poetic composition.

Refrain

Re*frain" (r?*fr?n"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Refrained (-fr?nd"); p. pr. & vb/ n. Refraining.] [OE. refreinen, OF. refrener, F. refrner, fr. L. refrenare; influenced by OF. refraindre to restrain, moderate, fr. LL. refrangere, for L. refringere to break up, break (see Refract). L. refrenare is fr. pref. re- back + frenum bridle; cf. Skr. dh to hold.] 1. To hold back; to restrain; to keep within prescribed bounds; to curb; to govern.
His reson refraineth not his foul delight or talent.
Refrain thy foot from their path.
2. To abstain from [Obs.]
Who, requiring a remedy for his gout, received no other counsel than to refrain cold drink.

Refrain

Re*frain", v. i. To keep one's self from action or interference; to hold aloof; to forbear; to abstain.
Refrain from these men, and let them alone.
They refrained therefrom [eating flesh] some time after.
Syn. -- To hold back; forbear; abstain; withhold.

Refrain

Re*frain", n. [F. refrain, fr. OF. refraindre; cf. Pr. refranhs a refrain, refranher to repeat. See Refract,Refrain, v.] The burden of a song; a phrase or verse which recurs at the end of each of the separate stanzas or divisions of a poetic composition.
We hear the wild refrain.

To hold back; to restrain; to keep within prescribed bounds; to curb; to govern.

To keep one's self from action or interference; to hold aloof; to forbear; to abstain.

The burden of a song; a phrase or verse which recurs at the end of each of the separate stanzas or divisions of a poetic composition.

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Usage Examples

To refrain from imitation is the best revenge.

Who could refrain that had a heart to love and in that heart courage to make love known?

Misspelled Form

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Other Usage Examples

To read a newspaper is to refrain from reading something worth while. The first discipline of education must therefore be to refuse resolutely to feed the mind with canned chatter.

The generality of men are naturally apt to be swayed by fear rather than reverence, and to refrain from evil rather because of the punishment that it brings than because of its own foulness.