REFRAINING

Verb

refraining

present participle of refrain

Noun

refraining (plural refrainings)

The act of one who refrains from doing something.

Source: Wiktionary

REFRAIN

Re*frain" (r*frn"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Refrained (-frnd"); p. pr. & vb/ n. Refraining.] Etym: [OE. refreinen, OF. refrener, F. refr, 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. Chaucer. Refrain thy foot from their path. Prov. i. 15.

2. To abstain from [Obs.] Who, requiring a remedy for his gout, received no other counsel than to refrain cold drink. Sir T. Browne.

Re*frain", v. i.

Definition: To keep one's self from action or interference; to hold aloof; to forbear; to abstain. Refrain from these men, and let them alone. Acts v. 38. They refrained therefrom [eating flesh] some time after. Sir T. Browne.

Syn.

– To hold back; forbear; abstain; withhold.

Re*frain", n. Etym: [F. refrain, fr. OF. refraindre; cf. Pr. refranhs a refrain, refranher to repeat. See Refract,Refrain, v.]

Definition: 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. Whittier.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition