wean

verb

ˈwēn 

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 food

—Sports 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 greasepaint

—Helen Hayes

the principles upon which he had been weaned

—J. A. Michener

Examples of wean in a Sentence

The calves are weaned at an early age.

Recent Examples on the Web

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

The $300 billion will go to developing countries that need the cash to wean themselves off the coal, oil and gas that causes the globe to overheat, adapt to future warming and pay for the damage caused by climate change's extreme weather. —Graham Underwood, arkansasonline.com, 24 Nov. 2024

Sagamore Spirit has released two new rye whiskeys that were fully distilled at the company’s Baltimore headquarters, marking the culmination of a years-long effort to wean itself from a contract distilling arrangement forged in Sagamore’s early years. —Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 11 Nov. 2024

When Covid patients were being weaned off ventilators they were given a sheet of exercises and a plastic box to encourage them to breathe more deeply. —David Phelan, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024

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

Phrases Containing wean

• wean from/off
• wean on

Kids Definition

wean

verb

ˈwēn 

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

ˈwēn 

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