Both Uses of
refrain
in
The Tell-Tale Heart
- But even yet I refrained and kept still.†
refrained = avoided or resisted (doing something)
- ...for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still.
*refrained = resisted
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