to abstain

  • 1abstain — ab·stain /əb stān, ab / vi: to refrain from exercising federal jurisdiction over a case: cause an abstention Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. abstain …

    Law dictionary

  • 2Abstain — Ab*stain , v. t. To hinder; to withhold. [1913 Webster] Whether he abstain men from marrying. Milton. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3abstain — (v.) late 14c., to withhold oneself, from O.Fr. abstenir (14c.), earlier astenir (13c.) hold (oneself) back, refrain, abstain (from), practice abstinence, from L. abstinere withhold, keep back, keep off, from ab(s) from, away from (see AB (Cf. ab …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4abstain — [ab stān′, əbstān′] vi. [ME absteinen < OFr abstenir < L abstinere, to hold back < ab(s) , from + tenere, to hold: see TENANT] to hold oneself back; voluntarily do without; refrain (from) [to abstain from smoking] SYN. REFRAIN1 abstainer …

    English World dictionary

  • 5Abstain — Ab*stain , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Abstained}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Abstaining}.] [OE. absteynen, abstenen, OF. astenir, abstenir, F. abstenir, fr. L. abstinere, abstentum, v. t. & v. i., to keep from; ab, abs + tenere to hold. See {Tenable}.] To hold… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 6abstain from — index avoid (evade), cease, forgo Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 7abstain from inserting — index omit Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 8abstain from recognizing — index ignore Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 9abstain — *refrain, forbear Analogous words: *forgo, eschew, abnegate: *decline, refuse, spurn, reject: desist (see STOP) Antonyms: indulge Contrasted words: pamper (see INDULGE): *satiate …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 10abstain — [v] hold back from doing abjure, abnegate, avoid, cease, constrain, curb, decline, deny oneself, do without, eschew, evade, fast, fence sit*, forbear, forgo, give the go by*, give up, go on the wagon*, keep from, pass, pass up, quit, refrain,… …

    New thesaurus