All 3 Uses of
refrain
in
1984 by Orwell
- rhythmical chant of 'B-B! … B-B!'
...
It was a refrain that was often heard in moments of overwhelming emotion.
p. 16..8 (definition 1) *refrain = something repeated regularly
- Whether he wrote DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER, or whether he refrained from writing it, made no difference.
p. 19..1 (definition 2)refrained = stopped himself
- When once you were in the grip of the Party, what you felt or did not feel, what you did or refrained from doing, made literally no difference.
p. 165..0 (definition 2) *refrained = stopped yourself
Definitions:
-
(1) (refrain as in: a repeated refrain) something repeated regularlyespecially:
- lines repeated after each verse of a song
- a phrase or idea often repeated by someone or within a poem
-
(2) (refrain as in: refrain from laughing) avoid or resist doing something