Such is the virtue of the abstemious well.
Dryden.
Ab*ste"mi*ous*ness, n. The quality of being abstemious, temperate, or sparing in the use of food and strong drinks. It expresses a greater degree of abstinence than temperance.
Ab*sten"tion (&?;), a. [F. See Abstain.] The act of abstaining; a holding aloof. Jer. Taylor.
Ab*sten"tious (&?;), a. Characterized by abstinence; self-restraining. Farrar.
Ab*sterge (&?;), v. t. [L. abstergere, abstersum; ab, abs + tergere to wipe. Cf. F absterger.] To make clean by wiping; to wipe away; to cleanse; hence, to purge. [R.] Quincy.
Ab*ster"gent (&?;), a. [L. abstergens, p. pr. of abstergere.] Serving to cleanse, detergent.
Ab*ster"gent, n. A substance used in cleansing; a detergent; as, soap is an abstergent.
Ab*sterse" (&?;), v. t. To absterge; to cleanse; to purge away. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
Ab*ster"sion (&?;), n. [F. abstersion. See Absterge.] Act of wiping clean; a cleansing; a purging.
The task of ablution and abstersion being performed.
Sir W. Scott.
Ab*ster"sive (&?;), a. [Cf. F. abstersif. See Absterge.] Cleansing; purging. Bacon.
Ab*ster"sive, n. Something cleansing.
The strong abstersive of some heroic magistrate.
Milton.
Ab*ster"sive*ness, n. The quality of being abstersive. Fuller.
Ab"sti*nence (&?;), n. [F. abstinence, L. abstinentia, fr. abstinere. See Abstain.] 1. The act or practice of abstaining; voluntary forbearance of any action, especially the refraining from an indulgence of appetite, or from customary gratifications of animal or sensual propensities. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating beverages, -- called also total abstinence.
The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one.
Locke.
2. The practice of self-denial by depriving one's self of certain kinds of food or drink, especially of meat.
Penance, fasts, and abstinence,
To punish bodies for the soul's offense.
Dryden.