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 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's decision comes as the kingdom is trying to build a series of megaprojects and invest in sports and other fields aggressively abroad to wean the country off of relying solely on oil. Jon Gambrell, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024 As a baby’s nervous system matures, parents should be able to wean their baby off an anti-colic bottle. Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 19 Feb. 2024 Taylor Swift fans are the demographic that all the big hotel groups want to wean off Airbnb. Sarah Turner, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 To wean yourself off of soft drinks, said Dr. Jhin, start watering them down, which will cut down on the sugar and calories. Anne Harding, Health, 9 Feb. 2024 Baby mandrills nurse for anywhere from six to 12 months and remain close to their mothers even after weaning, according to the release. Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2024 Have so many messages to back up that weaning it down feels impossible? Reece Rogers, WIRED, 24 Jan. 2024 Image: Ember Coal generation was already starting to decline in the EU until the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a comeback for coal as countries moved to wean themselves off Russian gas. Justine Calma, The Verge, 6 Feb. 2024 Using hydrogen as a battery is one of the more audacious concepts being developed as industries and governments work to wean the world from fossil fuels. Henry Fountain Nina Riggio, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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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