Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

refrain2

Pronunciation: /rɪˈfreɪn/
Translate refrain | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of refrain

noun

  • a repeated line or number of lines in a poem or song, typically at the end of each verse.
  • the musical accompaniment for a refrain: he would play the refrain
  • a comment or complaint that is often repeated:‘Poor Tom’ had become the constant refrain of his friends

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French, from refraindre 'break', based on Latin refringere 'break up' (because the refrain ‘broke’ the sequence)

refrain in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of refrain in the US English dictionary
  |  Cite
Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

Shop for an Oxford dictionary

Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

monocular

/ məˈnɒkjʊlə /
adjective , noun
with, for, or in one eye …