wean

verb

weaned; weaning; weans

transitive verb

1
: to accustom (a young child or animal) to take food otherwise than by nursing
2
: to detach from a source of dependence
being weaned off the medication
wean the bears from human foodSports Illus.
also : to free from a usually unwholesome habit or interest
wean him off his excessive drinking
settling his soldiers on the land …  , weaning them from habits of violence Geoffrey Carnall
3
: to accustom to something from an early age
used in the passive especially with on
students weaned on the Internet for research
I was weaned on greasepaintHelen Hayes
the principles upon which he had been weanedJ. A. Michener

Examples of wean in a Sentence

The calves are weaned at an early age.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Discuss with the health care profession weaning or stopping cannabis use at least 14 days prior to surgery. Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025 Carter’s energy policy was later seen as prescient, decades before climate change became a national priority with a solution to conserve and wean the public off of fossil fuels. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2024 She's focused on going through the applications and getting these puppies off to their forever homes once they're weaned off their mama. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024 Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, and its leftist president is keen on weaning the country off fossil fuels and reducing deforestation. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wean 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wenen, from Old English wenian to accustom, wean; akin to Old English wunian to be used to — more at wont

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wean was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wean

Cite this Entry

“Wean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wean. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

wean

verb
1
: to get a child or young animal used to food other than its mother's milk
2
: to turn (one) away from something long desired or followed
wean a person from a bad habit

Medical Definition

wean

transitive verb
1
: to accustom (as an infant or young child) to take food otherwise than by nursing
2
: to detach usually gradually from a cause of dependence or form of treatment

More from Merriam-Webster on wean

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