abs-tĭnĕo, ŭi, tentum, 2, 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. 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. Neutr.: abstinere, to abstain from a thing; constr. with abl., ab, inf., quin or quominus, the gen., or absol. 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.— With ab: ut ne a mulieribus quidem atque infantibus abstinerent, Caes. B. G. 7, 47, 5.— With inf.: dum mi abstineant invidere, if they only cease to envy me, Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 2; so Suet. Tib. 23.— 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.