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abstentious

[ab-sten-shuhn]

Origin

noun

an act or instance of abstaining.

withholding of a vote.

Origin:
1515–25; < Late Latin abstentiōn- (stem of abstentiō), equivalent to Latin abstent(us), past participle of abstinēre to abstain + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

ab·sten·tious, adjective

non·ab·sten·tion, noun

un·ab·sten·tious, adjective

Can be confused: abstention, abstinence.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Abstentious is always a great word to know.

So is gobo. Does it mean:

a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

abstention (əbˈstɛnʃən)

—n
1.	a voluntary decision not to act; the act of refraining or abstaining
2.	the act of withholding one's vote

[C16: from Late Latin abstentiōn-, from Latin abstinēre. See abstain]

ab'stentious

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

abstention

1520s, from Fr., from L. abstentionem (nom. abstentio) "the act of retaining," from abstentus, pp. of abstinere (see abstain).

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