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, and especially from an indulgence of the passions or appetites; -- with from. Not a few abstained from voting. Macaulay. Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt Shak.

One who abstains; esp., one who abstains from the use of intoxicating liquors.

Abstaining from wine. [Orig. Latin sense.] Under his special eye Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain. Milton.

The act of abstaining; a holding aloof. Jer. Taylor.

The act or practice of abstaining; voluntary forbearance of any action, especially the refraining from an indulgence of appetite, or from customary gratifications of animal or sensual propensities. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating beverages, -- called also total abstinence. The abstinence from…

One who abstains.

To keep away from; to keep clear of; to endeavor no to meet; to shun; to abstain from; as, to avoid the company of gamesters. What need a man forestall his date of grief. And run to meet what he would most avoid Milton. He carefully avoided every act which could goad them into open hostility. Macaulay.…

Abstaining from sexual intercourse; exercising restraint upon the sexual appetite; esp., abstaining from illicit sexual intercourse; chaste. My past life Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true, As I am now unhappy. Shak.

agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights. Wharton.

A small assembly or gathering; esp., a secret assembly. They are commanded to abstain from all conventicles of men whatsoever. Ayliffe.

corruptions of monasteries, . . . to exite popular indignation against them. Hallam. They abstained from some of the worst methods of corruption usual to their party in its earlier days. Bancroft.

To urge to abstain or refrain; to dissuade. [Obs.] The apostles vehemently dehort us from unbelief. Bp. Ward. "Exhort" remains, but dehort, a word whose place neither "dissuade" nor any other exactly supplies, has escaped us. Trench.

One of a sect in the 2d century who abstained from marriage, wine, and animal food; -- called also Continent.

To abstain from food; to omit to take nourishment in whole or in part; to go hungry. Fasting he went to sleep, and fasting waked. Milton.

One who abstains from food.

Carnal; wordly; lascivious. Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 1 Pet. ii. 11.

To keep away from; to avoid; to abstain from; to give up; as, to forbear the use of a word of doubdtful propriety. But let me that plunder forbear. Shenstone. The King In open battle or the tilting field Forbore his own advantage. Tennyson.

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…

To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from. Now leave complaining and begin your tea. Pope.

A Jew bound by a vow to lave the hair uncut, to abstain from wine and strong drink, and to practice extraordinary purity of life and devotion, the obligation being for life, or for a certain time. The word is also used adjectively.