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That which a person is bound by moral obligation to do, or refrain from doing; that which one ought to do; service morally obligatory. Forgetting his duty toward God, his sovereign lord, and his country. Hallam.

A monotonous refrain. [Obs.] Holland.

To refrain from proceeding; to pause; to delay. Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear 1 Kinds xxii. 6.

To withhold from knowledge; to keep secret; to refrain from avowing or confessing. Heaven from all creatures hides the book of fate. Pope.

To restrain one's self; to refrain. His dauntless heart would fain have held From weeping, but his eyes rebelled. Dryden.

, insome cases, under statutes, by a court of law,whereby a party is required to do or to refrain from doing certain acts, according to the exigency of the writ.

A negro; -- said to be so called from a popular negro song and dance, the refrain of which is "Wheel about and turn about and jump Jim Crow," produced in 1835 by T. D. Rice, a famous negro minstrel. [Slang, U. S.]

To be in session; as, school keeps to-day. [Colloq.] To keep from, to abstain or refrain from. -- To keep in with, to keep on good terms with; as, to keep in with an opponent. -- To keep on, to go forward; to proceed; to continue to advance. -- To keep to, to adhere strictly to; not to neglect or deviate from; as, t…

he left a legacy to his niece. To leave alone. (a) To leave in solitude. (b) To desist or refrain from having to do with; as, to leave dangerous chemicals alone. -- To leave off. (a) To desist from; to forbear; to stop; as, to leave off work at six o'clock. (b) To cease wearing or using; to omit to put in the usual po…

The condition of a nation or government which refrains from taking part, directly or indirectly, in a war between other powers.

look over and beyond (anything) without seeing it; to miss or omit in looking; hence, to refrain from bestowing notice or attention upon; to neglect; to pass over without censure or punishment; to excuse. The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. Acts xvii. 30 (Rev. Ver. ) They overlook truth in the judgments t…

To refrain from exacting as a penalty. I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it. Shak.

A promise or agreement by which one binds one's self to do, or to refrain from doing, something; especially, a solemn promise in writing to refrain from using intoxicating liquors or the like; as, to sign the pledge; the mayor had made no pledges.

To engage to do, give, make, or to refrain from doing, giving, or making, or the like; to covenant; to engage; as, to promise a visit; to promise a cessation of hostilities; to promise the payment of money. "To promise aid." Shak.

nt shown by an enemy; mercy; especially, the act of sparing the life a conquered enemy; a refraining from pushing one's advantage to extremes. He magnified his own clemency, now they were at his mercy, to offer them quarter for their lives. Clarendon. Cocks and lambs . . . at the mercy of cats and wolves . . . must nev…

The act of refraining. [Obs.]

Refrain. [Obs.] Bailey.

To refrain from exacting or enforcing; as, to remit the performance of an obligation. "The sovereign was undoubtedly competent to remit penalties." Macaulay.

A versicle sung in answer to the priest, or as a refrain. Which, if should repeat again, would turn my answers into responsories, and beget another liturgy. Milton.

uality or state of being reticent, or keeping silence; the state of holding one's tonque; refraining to speak of that which is suggested; uncommunicativeness. Such fine reserve and noble reticence. Tennyson.