refrain (v.) Copy link Outline I. Trans.II. Intrans.1. tempĕro, 1 (constr. with the abl. either with ab or alone; a pleonast. dat. of the reflect. pron., or animis; with subj. after quin, quominus; rarely with inf.)2. abstĭneo, ui, tentum, 2 (constr. with abl., with or without the reflect. pron.3. contĭneo, ui, tentum, 2 (to check4. parco, pĕperci, less freq. parsi, parcĭtum, and parsum, 3 (to spare5. sŭpersĕdeo, sēdi, sessum, 2 (constr. with abl.; less freq. dat., acc., or inf.; also impers.) • refrain (v.): I. Trans.: refrēno, 1: v. curb, restrain. II. Intrans.: 1. tempĕro, 1 (constr. with the abl. either with ab or alone; a pleonast. dat. of the reflect. pron., or animis; with subj. after quin, quominus; rarely with inf.): who may r. from tears? quis temperet a lacrimis? Virg. Aen. 2, 8: not to r. even from tears, ne lacrimis quidem t., Tac. A. 15, 16: do you believe he will r. from telling a lie? eum sibi credis a mendacio temperaturum? Auct. Her. 4, 18, 25: Caes. they scarcely r.'d from making an attack, vix temperavere animis quin impetum facerent, Liv. 5, 45: they with difficulty r.'d from joining battle, aegre temperatum est quin pugnam inter se consererent, id. 32, 10. 2. abstĭneo, ui, tentum, 2 (constr. with abl., with or without the reflect. pron.: with inf.: with ne, quin, or quominus: poet. with gen.): to r. from wrong doing, a. injuria, Cic. Off. 3, 17, extr.: I easily r.'d from oysters, me ostreis facile abstinebam, id. Fam. 7, 26, ad fin.: to r. from wrath, a. irae, Hor. Od. 3, 27, 69: v. abstain 3. contĭneo, ui, tentum, 2 (to check: constr. with pron. reflect., or in the pass. voice: foll. by abl., with ab or alone): to r. from assenting, c. se ab assentiendo, Cic. Acad. 2, 32, 104: I cannot r. from embracing, contineri quin complectar non queo, Pl. Rud. 4, 4, 128. 4. parco, pĕperci, less freq. parsi, parcĭtum, and parsum, 3 (to spare: constr. with dat.; rarely with ab, or inf.): to r. from lamentations, p. lamentis, Liv. 6, 3: r. from fear, parce metu (dat.), Virg. Aen. 1, 257: I r. from mentioning the names of living persons, parco nominibus viventium, Quint. 3, 1, 21 (R. and A.): I confess that I r.'d from availing myself of that assistance, fateor me pepercisse auxilio, Cic. Planc. 35, 86. 5. sŭpersĕdeo, sēdi, sessum, 2 (constr. with abl.; less freq. dat., acc., or inf.; also impers.): to r. from battle, s. praelio (abl.), Caes. B. G. 2., 8; pugnae, Auct. B. Afr. 75: I should have r.'d from speaking, supersedissem loqui, Liv. 21, 40, ad init.: since it is right to r. from disputes, quum litibus supersederi aequum sit, id. 38, 51. Phr.: I could not r. from telling you, teneri non potui quin declararem (tibi), Cic. Att. 15, 14, 3: I cannot r. from sending to you, facere non possum quin tibi mittam, id. ib. 12, 27: he ordered that they and theirs should r. from doing injury, imperavit ut se suosque ab injuria prohiberent, Caes. B. G. 2, 28, extr.: I can scarcely r. from flying at her eyes, vix comprimor quin involem illi in oculos, Pl. Most. 1, 3, 46: saying that he did not r. from answering a private man, negans se privato reticere, Liv. 3, 41: if they shall in no wise r. from doing this, ex nulla facere id si parte reparcent, Lucr. 1, 667.
REFRAIN Copy link • REFRAINTransitively, To check, restrain, Vid: Intransitively, abstinere or se abstinere ab aliqua re: se continere ab aliqua re (to keep one’s self back from): temperare sibi, quominus: temperare (sibi) ab aliqua re (not to seize upon, to abstain from; ☞ not temperare alicui rei, which is = to set measure or bounds to anything; Vid: Krüger, § 359: temperare aliqua re is not a Latin construction; for in Liv., 32, 34, 3, risu is the dative): parcere alicui rei (to spare; e.g., ut neque lamentis neque exsecrationibus parceretur, Liv., 8, 7, 21; parco nominibus viventium, I refrain from mentioning the names of persons now alive, Quint., 3, 1, 21). To refrain from food, se abstinere cibo; a (quibusdam) cibis temperare: to refrain from fighting, supersedere proelio or pugna: to refrain from tears, lacrimas tenere; temperare a lacrimis († Verg., Aen., 2, 8; whereas temperare lacrimis, Liv., 30, 20, 1 = to moderate one’s tears): to refrain from laughter, risum tenere or continere: to refrain from intercourse with anybody, alicujus aditum sermonemque defugere: not to be able to refrain, sibi temperare or se continere non posse, quin; a se non impetrare posse, quin: to be scarcely able to refrain from, vix se continere posse, quin etc.; vix temperare sibi posse, quin, etc.; vix comprimor, quin, etc. (Plaut., Mostellaria, 1, 3, 46).