1. (v. t.) To hold back; to restrain; to keep within prescribed bounds; to curb; to govern.

2. (v. t.) To abstain from

3. (v. i.) To keep one's self from action or interference; to hold aloof; to forbear; to abstain.

4. (n.) The burden of a song; a phrase or verse which recurs at the end of each of the separate stanzas or divisions of a poetic composition.

PS Parthian shot Spenserian stanza abandon abort abstain abstain from addendum afterthought air anacrusis antistrophe appendix aria arrest avoid back matter bass passage belay bis bob book bourdon bridge burden cadence cancel canto cantus cease chant check chorus coda codicil colophon conclusion consequence constrain continuance continuation couplet curb cut it out descant desist development discontinue dispense with distich ditto division do without double take drop it dying words end envoi epilogue epode eschew exposition figure folderol follow-through follow-up forbear forgo give over give up halt harmonic close have done with heptastich hexastich hold hold aloof from hold back hold off inhibit interlude intermezzo interrupt introductory phrase keep keep back keep from keep in hand knock it off last words lay lay off leave off let alone let go by line measure melodia melodic line melody monostich movement musical phrase musical sentence never touch not touch not use note octastich octave octet ornament ottava rima part parting shot pass up passage pentastich period peroration phrase postface postfix postlude postscript quatrain quit refrain from relinquish renounce repeat repetend reprise reserve resolution response restrain rhyme royal ritornello save scrub second thought section septet sequel sequela sequelae sequelant sequent sequitur sestet sextet shun solo solo part song soprano part spare stand aloof from stanza statement stave stay stop strain strophe subscript suffix supplement swan song syllable tag tailpiece tercet terminate terza rima tetrastich treble triplet tristich tune tutti tutti passage undersong variation verse waive withhold