Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense weans, present participle weaning, past tense, past participle weaned
1. verb
When a baby or baby animal is weaned, its mother stops feeding it milk and starts giving it other food, especially solid food.
The baby would be weaned and she would bring it home. [beVERB-ed]
When would be the best time to start weaning my baby? [VERB noun]
Phil took the labrador home and is weaning him off milk on to meat. [V n + off]
Once weaned, the lambs may be put in pens. [VERB-ed]
weaninguncountable noun
Weaning should be a gradual process.
2. verb
If you wean someone off a habit or something they like, you gradually make them stop doing it or liking it,especially when you think is bad for them.
...a need to wean the public off food imports from outside the EU. [V n off/from n]
It has been good for him to be gradually weaned from depending on me. [VERB noun + from]
Children should be weaned off television. [V n off/from n]
It's two years since I've seen Iain. I'm still trying to wean myself off him butit's hard. [V pron-refl off/from n]
wean in British English1
(wiːn)
verb(transitive)
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
Derived forms
weaning (ˈweaning)
noun
Word origin
Old English wenian to accustom; related to German gewöhnen to get used to
wean in British English2
(weɪn, wiːn)
noun
Scottish and Northern England dialect
a child; infant
Word origin
a contraction of wee ane or perhaps a shortened form of weanling
wean in American English1
(win)
verb transitive
1.
to cause (a child or young animal) to become accustomed gradually to food other than its mother's milk; to cause to give up suckling; now, often, to cause to give up drinking milk from a bottle with a nipple
2.
to withdraw (a person) by degrees (from a habit, object of affection, occupation, etc.), as by substituting some other interest
3.
to be raised on or brought up with; to become accustomed to
with on
weaned on good books
Derived forms
weaner (ˈweaner)
noun
Word origin
ME wenen < OE wenian, to accustom, train, with sense of awenian, to wean < a- (< af-, away) + wenian < IE base *wen-, to desire, attain, be satisfied > L venus, love
wean in American English2
(win)
noun
Scottish and North England
a child or baby
Word origin
contr. of Scot wee ane, little one
Examples of 'wean' in a sentence
wean
Experts suggest patches, gum and sprays are still more effective at helping wean people off nicotine.
The Sun (2016)
The camp would also have taught farming techniques to try to wean people off growing opium.
The Sun (2008)
Japan has tried to wean itself away from expensive and sometimes unreliable imported oil by going nuclear.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Letting go of the need for intensity has been a process of slowly weaning myself.
Herman, Judith Lewis Trauma and Recovery (1992)
What did her mother wean her on?
The Sun (2008)
Some people wean themselves off meat and fish by allowing themselves meat or fish once a month.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
How then does a free society wean citizens away from an exclusive dependence on the automobile?
Goddard, Stephen B. Getting There: The Epic Struggle between Road and Rail in the American Century (1994)
His mother weaned him off his painkillers.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Some women will wean off gradually by dropping feeds and reducing feed times over a period of weeks.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You are doing well offering a wide range of weaning foods, including finger foods.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Instead she was weaned off gradually, using withdrawal medication.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
That is probably why people can't wean themselves off it.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Meanwhile, some health experts say we should be trying to wean people off addictive nicotine.
The Sun (2014)
He is gradually weaning himself away from his role as a fundraiser and impresario for Cambodian dance.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Jazz says since signing up to New Me she is gradually weaning herself off the sugar.
The Sun (2015)
In other languages
wean
British English: wean VERB
When a baby or baby animal is weaned, its mother stops feeding it milk and starts giving it other food, especially solid food.
When would be the best time to start weaning my baby?