01 a. Abstaining from wine.
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1.
Abstaining from wine.[Orig. Latin sense.]“Under his special eye Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain.” — Milton.
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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.” — Arbuthnot.
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3.
Sparingly used; used with temperance or moderation; as, an abstemious diet.
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4.
Marked by, or spent in, abstinence; as, an abstemious life.
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5.
Promotive of abstemiousness.[R.]“Such is the virtue of the abstemious well.” — Dryden.