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

Why China might push back against the H200 The H200 is one of Nvidia’s most advanced chips for training and running AI on the market, but China has been on a drive to wean itself off American technology and boost local semiconductor development for AI. —Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 9 Dec. 2025

The firm is among a handful that are at the core of Beijing’s ambitions of weaning itself off American hardware, and particularly cutting-edge chips, the design and manufacture of which are dominated by companies based in the US and allied nations. —semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025

After they’re weaned, the parents bring food back to the den, which is when people often notice them because the pups are outside playing, says Pierce. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025

Many patients in nursing homes can be weaned off ventilators, but those who can't because of their condition often spend years in hospitals, which are not designed for residency. —Jordan Rau, NPR, 29 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for wean

• bean
• bein
• bien
• bouin
• chine
• clean
• deen
• diene
• gene
• glean
• jean
• keen

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