wean

[ween]

verb (used with object)

1. to accustom (a child or young animal) to food other than mother's milk; cause to lose the need to suckle or turn to the mother for food.

2. to withdraw (a person, the affections, one's dependency, etc.) from some object, habit, form of enjoyment, or the like.

   The need to reduce had weaned us from rich desserts.

verb phrase

1. wean on,  to accustom to; to familiarize with from, or as if from, childhood.

   a brilliant student weaned on the classics;

   suburban kids weaned on rock music.

wean

¹

/ wiːn /

verb

1. to cause (a child or young mammal) to replace mother's milk by other nourishment

2. (usually foll by from) to cause to desert former habits, pursuits, etc

wean

²

/ weɪn, wiːn /

noun

1. dialect,  a child; infant

Other Word Forms

• weaning noun
• weanedness noun
• postweaning adjective
• preweaning adjective
• unweaned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wean¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English wenen, Old English wenian; cognate with Dutch wennen, German gewöhnen, Old Norse venja “to accustom”

Word History and Origins

Origin of wean¹

Old English wenian to accustom; related to German gewöhnen to get used to

Origin of wean²

a contraction of wee ane or perhaps a shortened form of _weanling

Example Sentences

The city of Long Beach allows no more than four weaned pets at one site, with some exceptions.

From Los Angeles Times

When baby-led weaning became the popular way to feed infants, some said it made parenting a lot harder.

From Salon

Charlotte Stirling-Reed, a baby weaning expert and author, told the BBC that she hoped brands adhered "for the future health of children".

From BBC

But is it realistic to think they could wean themselves off US technology?

From BBC

He used to be an infamous biter, but a few sessions at the Zoom Room, an indoor dog training gym, helped wean him off, said Alejandra Gonzalez, Franklin Bean’s owner.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• discourage