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Abstain

//əbˈsteɪn// verb

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    Keep or withhold oneself. obsolete, reflexive, transitive
  2. 2
    choose not to consume wordnet
  3. 3
    Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence. intransitive

    "In order to improve his health, Rob decided to abstain from smoking."

  4. 4
    refrain from voting wordnet
  5. 5
    Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.; To refrain from drinking alcohol. intransitive

    "… she had made Bunting abstain very early in their acquaintance. … Glad she was now that he had taken the pledge as a younger man; but for that nothing would have kept him from the drink during the bad times they had gone through."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    Fast (not eat for a period). intransitive, obsolete
  2. 7
    Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present. intransitive

    "I abstain from this vote, as I have no particular preference."

  3. 8
    Hinder; keep back; withhold. obsolete, transitive

    "Whether he abstain men from marying [sic]."

Etymology

First attested around 1380. From Middle English absteynen, absteinen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstineō (“to hold oneself back”) from abs- (“from”) + teneō (“I hold”). See also tenable.

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