wean

[ ween ]
/ win /

verb (used with object)

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

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.

Origin of wean

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

OTHER WORDS FROM wean

wean·ed·ness [wee-nid-nis, weend-] /ˈwi nɪd nɪs, ˈwind-/, noun post·wean·ing, adjective pre·wean·ing, adjective un·weaned, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wean

wean ween

Words nearby wean

weal, weald, wealth, wealth tax, wealthy, wean, weaner, weanling, weapon, weapon system, weaponeer

British Dictionary definitions for post-weaning (1 of 2)

wean 1
/ (wiːn) /

verb (tr)

to cause (a child or young mammal) to replace mother's milk by other nourishment
(usually foll by from) to cause to desert former habits, pursuits, etc

Derived forms of wean

weaning, noun

Word Origin for wean

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

British Dictionary definitions for post-weaning (2 of 2)

wean 2
/ (weɪn, wiːn) /

noun

Scot and Northern English dialect a child; infant

Word Origin for wean

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

Medical definitions for post-weaning

wean
[ wēn ]

v.

To deprive permanently of breast milk and begin to nourish with other food.
To accustom the young of a mammal to take nourishment other than by suckling.
To gradually withdraw from a life-support system.