wean

[ ween ]

verb (used with object)

1. to accustom (a child or young animal) to food other than mother's milk; cause to lose the need to suckle or turn to the mother for food.
2. to withdraw (a person, the affections, one's dependency, etc.) from some object, habit, form of enjoyment, or the like:

   The need to reduce had weaned us from rich desserts.

verb phrase

1. to accustom to; to familiarize with from, or as if from, childhood:

   a brilliant student weaned on the classics;

   suburban kids weaned on rock music.

wean

¹

/ wiːn /

verb

1. to cause (a child or young mammal) to replace mother's milk by other nourishment
2. usually foll by from to cause to desert former habits, pursuits, etc

wean

²

/ weɪn; wiːn /

noun

1. dialect.
   a child; infant

Derived Forms

• ˈweaning, noun

Other Words From

• wean·ed·ness [wee, -nid-nis, weend, -], noun
• post·wean·ing adjective
• pre·wean·ing adjective
• un·weaned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wean¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English wenen, Old English wenian; cognate with Dutch wennen, German gewöhnen, Old Norse venja “to accustom”

Word History and Origins

Origin of wean¹

Old English wenian to accustom; related to German gewöhnen to get used to

Origin of wean²

a contraction of wee ane or perhaps a shortened form of weanling

Example Sentences

Fossil fuel use is still rising despite positive steps by some countries including the UK and by the EU to wean themselves off the energy sources that do most to heat up our planet.

From BBC

Priority No. 1 for the project, which is managed by the China Geological Survey, is to help the country wean itself off imported fossil fuels and ores such as iron and aluminum.

From Science Magazine

I was weaned on those movies, and I just resonate much more with that type of horror.

From Salon

For one thing, Brics projects meant to reduce reliance on the US dollar likely aren’t viable, because many member states’ economies cannot afford to wean themselves off of it.

From BBC

We also included parental measures such as having an underweight or stressed mother, being born or weaned late, and losing their mother.

From Salon

Related Words

• discourage