different between alliteration vs refrain

English

Etymology

From New Latin all?ter?ti?, from all?ter?tus, from all?ter?, from Latin ad (“to, towards, near”) and l?tera (“a letter”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??l?t???e???n/, [??l?????e???n]
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

alliteration (countable and uncountable, plural alliterations)

1. The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of two or more words immediately succeeding each other, or at short intervals.
2. The recurrence of the same letter in accented parts of words, as in Anglo-Saxon alliterative meter.

Related terms

• alliterational
• alliterative
• alliteratively
• alliterativeness

Translations

See also

• assonance

Further reading

• alliteration on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???f?e?n/
• Rhymes: -e?n

Etymology 1

From Middle English refreynen, from Anglo-Norman refraindre, Middle French refreindre (from Latin refringere), and Anglo-Norman refrener, Middle French refrener (from Latin refrenare).

Verb

refrain (third-person singular simple present refrains, present participle refraining, simple past and past participle refrained)

1. (transitive, archaic) To hold back, to restrain (someone or something). [from 14th c.]
2. (reflexive, archaic) To show restraint; to hold oneself back. [from 14th c.]
   • 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts V:

     And nowe I saye unto you: refrayne youreselves from these men, and let them alone [...].

   • 1899, Sabine Baring-Gould, A Book of the West Volume 1 Chapter 18

     As I went down the river, all dissatisfaction at my lot passed away, and by the time Dartmouth came in view I could no longer refrain myself, but threw my cap into the air, and barely caught it from falling overboard as I shouted, "Hurrah for merry England! […] "

3. (transitive, now rare) To repress (a desire, emotion etc.); to check or curb. [from 14th c.]

   • his reson aperceyueth it wel that it is synne / agayns the lawe of god / and yet his reson / refreyneth nat his foul delit or talent.

4. (intransitive, with preposition "from") To stop oneself from some action or interference; to abstain. [from 15th c.]
   • July 5, 1731, Jonathan Swift, letter to Vanessa

     If you knew how I struggle for a little health, what uneasiness I am at in riding and walking, and refraining from every thing agreeable to my taste
5. (transitive, rare, regional) To abstain from (food or drink). [from 16th c.]

Translations

Etymology 2

From French refrain, from the Old French verb refraindre (“to break off, repeat”), from Latin re- (“back, again”) + frang? (“break”); compare Occitan refranhs (“a refrain”), refranher (“to repeat”). See refract and the verb refrain.

Noun

refrain (plural refrains)

1. The chorus or burden of a song repeated at the end of each verse or stanza.
2. (by extension) A much repeated comment, complaint, or saying.

   Synonym: old saw

Translations

References

• refrain in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• Ren fair, ferrian

French

Etymology

Alteration of Old French refrait, past participle of the verb refraindre (based on the verb's infinitive), itself from Vulgar Latin *refrangere, from Latin refringo, refringere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.f???/

Noun

refrain m (plural refrains)

1. refrain, chorus

Descendants

• ? Danish: refræn
• ? English: refrain
• ? German: Refrain
• ? Spanish: refrán

Further reading

• “refrain” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• fariner

Italian

Etymology

From French refrain.

Noun

refrain m (invariable)

1. refrain

   Synonym: ritornello

Anagrams

• rifarne

Further reading

• refrain in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana