ab-sisto, stĭti, no sup., 3, v. n. (like all the compounds of the simple active verb, used only in a neutr. signif.), to withdraw or depart from, to go away; constr. absol., with ab, or the simple abl. (not in Cic.).
I Lit.: quae me hic reliquit atque abstitit, who has left me behind here , and gone off , Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 32: ab signis, Caes. B. G. 5, 17; v. Gron. ad Liv. 27, 45.— absol. : miles abstitit, went away , Tac. A. 2, 31: ab ore scintillae absistunt, burst forth , Verg. A. 12, 101: limine, id. ib. 7, 610: luco, id. ib. 6, 259. —
II Trop. with abl. (of subst. or gerund.) or the inf., to desist from an act, purpose, etc., to cease , to leave off (so, perh., first in the Aug. period, for the more common desisto ): obsidione, Liv. 9, 15 Drak.: bello, Hor. S. 1, 3, 104: continuando magistratu, Liv. 9, 34: sequendo, id. 29, 33: ingratis benefacere, id. 36, 35: moveri, Verg. A. 6, 399: absiste viribus indubitare tuis, cease to distrust thy strength , id. ib. 8, 403; cf. morari, id. ib. 12, 676.