refrain 1
— refrainer , n. — refrainment , n.
/ri frayn"/ , v.i.
1. to abstain from an impulse to say or do something (often fol. by from ): I refrained from telling him what I thought.
v.t.
2. Archaic. to curb.
[ 1300-50; ME refreinen refrener refrenare to bridle, equiv. to re- RE- + fren ( um ) bridle + -are inf. suffix ]
Syn. 1. forbear, desist.
refrain 2
/ri frayn"/ , n.
1. a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, esp. at the end of each stanza; chorus.
2. Music.
a. a musical setting for the refrain of a poem.
b. any melody.
c. the principal, recurrent section of a rondo.
[ 1325-75; ME refreyne refrain, deriv. of refraindre to break sequence refrangere, for L refringere to REFRACT ]