weaned; weaning; weans
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.
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
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
Helen Hayesthe principles upon which he had been weaned—J. A. Michener
J. A. MichenerExamples of wean in a Sentence
The calves are weaned at an early age.
Recent Examples on the Web
Her second hospital stay focused on weaning her off a ventilator after six weeks.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 20 May 2025
Pups are weaned from their mothers after about a month to six weeks.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 9 May 2025
Still, the unsettled controversy over removal of the Catherine the Great statue tells Dr. Honcharuk that Ukraine, and especially Odesa, has not fully weaned itself from the imperial power.
—Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 29 Apr. 2025
The shelter wasn’t sure Iris had enough milk left from weaning her kittens a week before.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wean
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Ashley Vega, People.com, 20 May 2025
Pups are weaned from their mothers after about a month to six weeks.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 9 May 2025
Still, the unsettled controversy over removal of the Catherine the Great statue tells Dr. Honcharuk that Ukraine, and especially Odesa, has not fully weaned itself from the imperial power.
—Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 29 Apr. 2025
The shelter wasn’t sure Iris had enough milk left from weaning her kittens a week before.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wean
Cite this Entry
“Wean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wean. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wean
verb1
: 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 verb1
: 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
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