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.
The pups were likely born in April and are now likely weaned, Odell said, but are still too small to travel with their parents. Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 18 July 2025 Against doctors’ recommendations, Taylor weaned her daughter off the medication and stopped vaccinating her. Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 Practitioners at the facility weaned her off it in just five days. Christina Caron, New York Times, 14 May 2025 The president told reporters last month that states need to be weaned off FEMA and that the federal government will start distributing less federal aid after hurricane season ends in November. Jeremy Lindenfeld, ProPublica, 9 July 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wean. Accessed 25 Jul. 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

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