1.  To hold back; to restrain; to keep within prescribed bounds; to curb; to govern. [1913 Webster]
"His reason refraineth not his foul delight or talent." [1913 Webster]
"Refrain thy foot from their path." [1913 Webster]

2.  To abstain from. [1913 Webster]
"Who, requiring a remedy for his gout, received no other counsel than to refrain cold drink." [1913 Webster]

   To keep one's self from action or interference; to hold aloof; to forbear; to abstain. [1913 Webster]
"Refrain from these men, and let them alone." [1913 Webster]
"They refrained therefrom [eating flesh] some time after." [1913 Webster]

   The burden of a song; a phrase or verse which recurs at the end of each of the separate stanzas or divisions of a poetic composition. [1913 Webster]
"We hear the wild refrain." [1913 Webster]

refrain, v.intr. (foll. by from) avoid doing (an action) (refrain from smoking).

Derivative:
refrainment n.

refrain, n.
1 a recurring phrase or number of lines, esp. at the ends of stanzas.
2 the music accompanying this.

Etymology:
ME f. OF refrain (earlier refrait) ult. f. L refringere (as RE-, frangere break), because the refrain 'broke' the sequence

VB  abstain, refrain, spare, not attempt, not do, maintain the even tenor of one's way, eschew, keep from, let alone, have nothing to do with, keep aloof keep off, stand aloof, stand off, hold aloof, hold off, take no part in, have no hand in, avoid, shun, steer clear of, keep clear of, fight shy of, keep one's distance, keep at a respectful distance, keep out of the way, get out of the way, evade, elude, turn away from, set one's face against, deny oneself, shrink back, hang back, hold back, draw back, recoil, retire, flinch, blink, blench, shy, shirk, dodge, parry, make way for, give place to, beat a retreat, turn tail, turn one's back, take to one's heels, runaway, run for one's life, cut and run, be off like a shot, fly, flee, fly away, flee away, run away from, take flight, take to flight, desert, elope, make off, scamper off, sneak off, shuffle off, sheer off, break away, tear oneself away, slip away, slink away, steel away, make away from, scamper away from, sneak away from, shuffle away from, sheer away from, slip cable, part company, turn one's heel, sneak out of, play truant, give one the go by, give leg bail, take French leave, slope, decamp, flit, bolt, abscond, levant, skedaddle, absquatulat, cut one's stick, walk one's chalks, show a light pair of heels, make oneself scarce, escape, go away, abandon, reject, lead one a dance, lead one a pretty dance, throw off the scent, play at hide and seek, Adj, unsought, unattempted, avoiding, neutral, shy of, elusive, evasive, fugitive, runaway, shy, wild.

VB  not do, not act, not attempt, be inactive, abstain from doing, do nothing, hold, spare, not stir, not move, not lift a finger, not lift a foot, not lift a peg, fold one's arms, fold one's hands, leave alone, let alone, let be, let pass, let things take their course, let it have its way, let well alone, let well enough alone, quieta non movere, stare super antiquas vias, rest and be thankful, live and let live, lie rest upon one's oars, laisser aller, faire, stand aloof, refrain, keep oneself from doing, remit one's efforts, relax one's efforts, desist, stop, pause, wait, lie in wait, bide one's time, take time, tide it over, cool one's heels, kick one's heels, while away the time, while away tedious hours, pass the time, fill up the time, beguile the time, talk against time, let the grass grow under one's feet, waste time, lie by, lie on the shelf, lie in ordinary, lie idle, lie to, lie fallow, keep quiet, slug, have nothing to do, whistle for want of thought, undo, do away with, take down, take to pieces, destroy.

N  repetition, iteration, reiteration, harping, recurrence, succession, run, battology, tautology, monotony, tautophony, rhythm, diffuseness, pleonasm, redundancy, chimes, repetend, echo, ritornello, burden of a song, refrain, rehearsal, rechauffe, rifacimento, recapitulation, cuckoo, reverberation, drumming, renewal, twice-told tale, old story, old song, second edition, new edition, reappearance, reproduction, recursion, periodicity, repeated, repetitional, repetitionary, recurrent, recurring, ever recurring, thick coming, frequent, incessant, redundant, pleonastic, monotonous, harping, iterative, recursive, unvaried, mocking, chiming, retold, aforesaid, aforenamed, above-mentioned, above-said, habitual, another, repeatedly, often, again, anew, over again, afresh, once more, ding-dong, ditto, encore, de novo, bis, da capo, again and again, over and over, over and over again, recursively, many times over, time and again, time after time, year after year, day by day, many times, several times, a number of times, many a time, full many a time, frequently, ecce iterum Crispinus, toujours perdrix, cut and come again, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, cantilenam eandem canis, nullum est jam dictum quod non dictum sit prius.

VB  be temperate, abstain, forbear, refrain, deny oneself, spare, swear off, know when one has had enough, know one's limit, take the pledge, go on the wagon.