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abstain

abs·tain

UK/əbˈsteɪn/ US/əbˈsteɪn/ uncommon obsolete

verb

1.
2.

choose no to consume

  • “I abstain from alcohol”
Synonyms
Antonyms

Origin

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 (“to hold”). See also tenable.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.