refrain
1[ ri-freyn ]
/ rɪˈfreɪn /
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verb (used without object)
to abstain from an impulse to say or do something (often followed by from): I refrained from telling him what I thought.
verb (used with object)
Archaic. to curb.
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Origin of refrain
11300–50; Middle English refreinen<Old French refrener<Latin refrēnāre to bridle, equivalent to re-re- + frēn(um) bridle + -āre infinitive suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM refrain
re·frain·er, nounre·frain·ment, nounun·re·frained, adjectiveun·re·frain·ing, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH refrain
refrain , restrainDefinition for refrain (2 of 2)
refrain2
[ ri-freyn ]
/ rɪˈfreɪn /
noun
a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza; chorus.
Music.
- a musical setting for the refrain of a poem.
- any melody.
- the principal, recurrent section of a rondo.
an often heard statement, opinion, etc.: Today’s technology haters have a common refrain—robots are bad for society.
a frequently occurring situation or series of events:The game followed a familiar refrain: a strong first quarter start that eventually fizzles out.
Origin of refrain
2First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, Middle French refreyne, from Old French refrain, derivative of refraindre “to break sequence” from Vulgar Latin refrangere (unattested) for Latin refringere “to refract”
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for refrain
British Dictionary definitions for refrain (1 of 2)
refrain1
/ (rɪˈfreɪn) /
verb
(intr usually foll by from) to abstain (from action); forbear
Derived forms of refrain
refrainer, nounrefrainment, nounWord Origin for refrain
C14: from Latin refrēnāre to check with a bridle, from re- + frēnum a bridle
British Dictionary definitions for refrain (2 of 2)
refrain2
/ (rɪˈfreɪn) /
noun
a regularly recurring melody, such as the chorus of a song
a much repeated saying or idea
Word Origin for refrain
C14: via Old French, ultimately from Latin refringere to break into pieces
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Cultural definitions for refrain
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.