1. (n.) Voluntary forbearance of an 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.

2. (n.) The practice of self-denial by depriving one's self of certain kinds of food or drink, especially of meat.

Albigensianism Catharism Encratism Franciscanism Friday Lenten fare Platonic love Pythagoreanism Pythagorism Rechabitism Sabbatarianism Shakerism Spartan fare Stoicism Trappism Waldensianism Yoga abnegation abstainment abstemiousness abstention abstinence from food anchoritic monasticism anchoritism asceticism austerity avoidance banyan day calm calmness celibacy chastity conservatism constraint continence continency control cool desuetude dispassion disuse eremitism eschewal evenness fast fasting fish day flagellation fruitarianism gentleness golden mean gymnosophy happy medium impartiality intactness judiciousness juste-milieu lenity maceration maidenhead maidenhood meden agan mendicantism middle way mildness moderateness moderation moderationism monachism monasticism mortification nephalism neutrality nonemployment nonprevalence nonuse nonviolence nothing in excess obsolescence obsoleteness obsoletion obsoletism pacifism pensioning off plain living prudence punishment of Tantalus puritanism refraining refrainment renunciation repose restraint restriction of intake retirement rigor self-abnegation self-control self-denial self-mortification self-restraint serenity sexual abstinence simple diet sobriety spare diet stability starvation steadiness superannuation teetotalism temperance temperateness the pledge total abstinence tranquillity unexcessiveness unextravagance unextremeness unprevalence vegetarianism via media virginity voluntary poverty