forbare

Verb

forbear (third-person singular simple present forbears, present participle forbearing, simple past forbore, past participle forborne or (archaic) forborn)

1. (transitive) To keep away from; to avoid; to abstain from.
   • Mr. Sheriff, I desire that this manacling may be forborn: if you please to clap a guard of a hundred men upon us, I shall pay for it. This is not only a disgrace to me, but in general to all soldiers; which doth more trouble me than the loss of my life.1649, “185. The Trial of Colonel John Morris, Governor of Pontefract Castle; at the Assizes at the Castle of York, before Mr. John Puleston, and Mr. Baron Thorpe, Justices of Assize, for High...
2. (intransitive) To refrain from proceeding; to pause; to delay.
   • Por[tia]. I pray you tarrie, pauſe a day or two
     Before you hazard, for in chooſing wrong
     I looſe your companie ; therefore forbeare a while, /[...]c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
3. (intransitive) To refuse; to decline; to withsay; to unheed.
   • And thou ſhalt ſpeake my words vnto them, whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare, for they are moſt rebellious.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 2:7
4. (intransitive) To control oneself when provoked.
   • The kindest and the happiest pair
     Will find occasion to forbear.1782, William Cowper, “Mutual Forbearance”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC