The Only Use of
refrain
in
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
- Refrain to-night;
And that shall lend a kind of easiness
To the next abstinence: the next more easy;
For use almost can change the stamp of nature,
And either curb the devil, or throw him out
With wondrous potency.†Scene 3.4
Definitions:
-
(1)
(refrain as in: a repeated refrain) something repeated regularly -- especially a word, phrase, line, or idea repeated in music, poetry, or speech
-
(2)
(refrain as in: refrain from laughing) to stop oneself from doing something -- especially something tempting, impulsive, or inappropriate