About The Word Refrain

Bay Area Crosswords

Learn about the word Refrain to help solve your crossword puzzle. Discover Refrain definitions and meaning, origins, synonyms, related terms and more at the free Crossword Dictionary.

Refrain

Refrain Meaning & Definition
Refrain Definition And Meaning

What's The Definition Of Refrain?

[n] the part of a song where a soloist is joined by a group of singers
[v] choose to refrain; "I abstain from alcohol"
[v] not do something; "He refrained from hitting him back"; "she could not forbear weeping"

Synonyms | Synonyms for Refrain: abstain | chorus | desist | forbear

Related Terms | Find terms related to Refrain:

See Also | abstain | avoid | fast | help | help oneself | keep off | let it go | music | save | sit out | song | spare | stand by | teetotal | tra-la | tra-la-la

Refrain In Webster's Dictionary

\Re*frain"\ (r?*fr?n"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Refrained} (-fr?nd"); p. pr. & vb/ n. {Refraining}.] [OE. refreinen, OF. refrener, F. refr?ner, 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. 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. [F. refrain, fr. OF. refraindre; cf. Pr. refranhs a refrain, refranher to repeat. See {Refract},{Refrain}, v.] 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.

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