abstinere or se abstinere (a) re: se continere a re (to hold one’s self back from anything): temperare sibi quominus, etc., temperare (sibi) ab aliqua re (restrain one’s self: not temperare alicui rei. which is, to restrain anything within limits. Temperare aliqua re is not Latin, for in Liv., 30, 20, risu is the dative). To abstain from food, se abstine cibo; from fighting, supersedere pugna or proelio; from tears, lacrimas tenere, temperare a lacrimis (Verg.: temperare lacrimas, to moderate them, Liv.); from laughter, risum tenere or continere; from a person’s society, alicujus aditum sermonemque defugere; from committing injury and wrong, ab injuria atque maleficio temperare, or se prohibere. Not to be able to abstain from, sibi temperare or se continere non posse (followed by quin): a se impetrare non posse quin.