Meaning

(transitive) To cease giving breast milk to an offspring; to accustom and reconcile (a child or young animal) to a want or deprivation of mother's milk; to take from the breast or udder..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To cease giving breast milk to an offspring; to accustom and reconcile (a child or young animal) to a want or deprivation of mother's milk; to take from the breast or udder.
2. (intransitive) To cease to depend on the mother's milk for nutrition.
3. (transitive, by extension, normally "wean off") To cause to quit something to which one is addicted, dependent, or habituated.
4. (intransitive, by extension) To cease to depend.
5. (transitive, by extension, obsolete) To raise, to help grow toward maturity
6. (Scotland, Mid-Ulster, others) A young child.

Example Sentences

The cow has weaned her calf.

Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

The kittens are finally weaning.

He managed to wean himself off heroin.

With Marvin getting older ... and walking now ... I thought it was time to start weaning him off of his bottle.

The troubles of age were intended […] to wean us gradually from our fondness of life.

Dalai Lama: "Then, I suggested, “Drink much less vodka.” Instead of that, they traditionally also drink horse milk—" Oliver: "Wait, hold on, you tried to wean them off vodka by giving them horse milk?" Dalai Lama: "Oh yes, and they follow."

She is weaning from her addiction to tobacco.

Word Forms

• weans
• weaning
• weaned

Related Words

When Should You Use Wean?

Use wean when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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