abstemious

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Latin abstēmius (abstaining from wine); from ab, abs + root of tēmētum (intoxicating drink).

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Adjective

abstemious (comparative more abstemious, superlative most abstemious)

  1. (Original Latin sense) Abstaining from wine.
    Under his special eye Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain. - John Milton
  2. Sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks; temperate; abstinent; sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions.
    Instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious - John Arbuthnot.
  3. Sparingly used; used with temperance or moderation
    an abstemious diet - Edward Gibbon
  4. Marked by, or spent in, abstinence; as, an abstemious life.
    One abstemious day. - Alexander Pope
  5. (rare) Promotive of abstemiousness
    Such is the virtue of the abstemious well. - John Dryden

[edit] Synonyms

abstentious, abstinent, continent, self-abnegating, self-denying, sober, temperate

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
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