a. [ L. abstemius; ab, abs + root of temetum intoxicating drink. ] 1. Abstaining from wine. [ Orig. Latin sense. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Under his special eye
Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks; temperate; abstinent; sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions. [ 1913 Webster ]

Instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Sparingly used; used with temperance or moderation; as, an abstemious diet. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Marked by, or spent in, abstinence; as, an abstemious life. “One abstemious day.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Promotive of abstemiousness. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such is the virtue of the abstemious well. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abstemious, temperate, or sparing in the use of food and strong drinks. It expresses a greater degree of abstinence than temperance. [ 1913 Webster ]