I.v. a and n. teneo, to keep off or away, to hold back, to hold at a distance. In the comic writers and Cic. this verb is in most cases purely active, hence constr. with aliquem (or se) re or ab re; the neuter signif. first became prevalent in the Aug. per. = se abstinere.
I. Act.: “dum ted abstineas nuptā, viduā, virgine, etc.,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 37: “urbanis rebus te,” id. Cas. 1, 1, 13; id. Men. 5, 6, 20; Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 132: manus a muliere, Lucil. ap. Non. 325, 32; cf.: “manus abstineant,” Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 11: “amor abstinendust (apstandust, R.),” id. ib. 2, 1, 30: “me ostreis et muraenis facile abstinebam,” Cic. Fam. 7, 26: “ab alienis mentes, oculos, manus, de Or. 1, 43: manus animosque ab hoc scelere,” Cic. Verr. 1, 12 fin.: “se nullo dedecore,” id. Fin. 3, 11, 38: “se cibo,” Caes. B. C. 8, 44: “ne ab obsidibus quidem iram belli hostis abstinuit,” Liv. 2, 16: “aliquos ab legatis violandis,” id. 2, 22: “se armis,” id. 8, 2 al.—Hence: “manum a se,” to abstain from suicide, Cic. Tusc. 4, 37 al.
II. Neutr.: abstinere, to abstain from a thing; constr. with abl., ab, inf., quin or quominus, the gen., or absol.
(α).
With abl.: “haud abstinent culpā,” Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 18 Ritschl: “injuriā,” Cic. Off. 3, 17, 72: “fabā (Pythagorei),” id. Div. 2, 58, 119: “proelio,” Caes. B. G. 1, 22, 3: “pugnā,” Liv. 2, 45, 8: “senatorio ambitu,” Tac. A. 4, 2: “manibus,” id. Hist. 2, 44: “auribus principis,” to spare them, id. Ann. 13, 14: “sermone Graeco,” Suet. Tib. 71: “publico abstinuit,” did not go out, id. Claud. 36 al.—Impers.: “ne a me quidem abstinuit,” Cic. de Or. 3, 43, 171: “ut seditionibus abstineretur,” Liv. 3, 10, 7; so id. 5, 50, 7.—
(γ).
With inf.: “dum mi abstineant invidere,” if they only cease to envy me, Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 2; so Suet. Tib. 23.—
(δ).
With quin or quominus: “aegre abstinent, quin castra oppugnent,” Liv. 2, 45, 10: ut ne clarissimi quidem viri abstinuerint, quominus et ipsi aliquid de eā scriberent, Suet. Gram. 3.—（* ε) With the gen. (in Greek construction like the Greek ἀπέχεσθαί τινος): “abstineto irarum calidaeque rixae,” Hor. C. 3, 27, 69 (cf. infra, abstinens).—（ζ) Absol.: “te scio facile abstinere posse,” Plaut. Aul. 2, 5, 19: “non tamen abstinuit,” Verg. A. 2, 534.—Esp. in med., to abstain from food: “abstinere debet aeger,” Cels. 2, 12, 2.—Hence, abstĭnens , entis, P. a., abstaining from (that which is unlawful), abstinent, temperate; constr absol. with abl., or poet. with gen.: “esse abstinentem, continere omnes cupiditates praeclarum est,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 11: “praetorem decet non solum manus, sed etiam oculos abstinentes habere,” id. Off. 1, 40, 144: “impubi aut certe abstinentissime rebus venereis,” Col. 12, 4, 3: “animus abstinens pecuniae,” Hor. C. 4, 9, 37; so, “alieni abstinentissimus,” Plin. Ep. 6, 8, 5; and: “somni et vini sit abstinentissimus,” Col. 11, 1, 3.—Comp., Auson. Grat. Act. 28.—Sup., Col. and Plin. l. l.—Adv.: abstĭnenter , unselfishly, Cic. Sest. 16, 37.—Comp., Augustin. Mor. Manich. 2, 13.
