Abstemious Definition
Sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks; temperate; abstinent; sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
Origin of Abstemious
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First attested in 1600. From Latin abstēmius (“abstaining from wine”); from ab, abs (“from”) + tēmus, root of tēmētum (“intoxicating drink, mead, wine”), akin to German dämlich (“stupid, silly”), Old Norse þám (“mugginess”), Old Irish tám (“death”), Sanskrit ताम्यति (tāmyati, “he becomes stunned, exhausted”).
From Wiktionary
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From Latin abstēmius abs-, ab- away ab–1 tēmum liquor variant of tēmētum
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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