weaned; weaning; weans
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.
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
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
Helen Hayesthe principles upon which he had been weaned—J. A. Michener
J. A. MichenerExamples of wean in a Sentence
The calves are weaned at an early age.
Recent Examples on the Web
Similac, for instance — which Ms. Modi weaned her daughter off of in favor of the imports — is fed to babies in hospitals, including in the neonatal intensive care unit wards.
—Alisha Haridasani Gupta, New York Times, 31 May 2025
But polar scientists who spoke to Luhn say humanity needs a stopgap until the world can wean itself off greenhouse-gas-emitting coal, oil and natural gas.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
But he couldn’t be weaned off of the drug treatment used to keep his ammonia levels down (nitrogen scavenging medication).
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 16 May 2025
Haaretz, a leading Israeli news source, reported that Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday that Israel needs to start thinking about weaning itself off of U.S. military assistance.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wean
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Alisha Haridasani Gupta, New York Times, 31 May 2025
But polar scientists who spoke to Luhn say humanity needs a stopgap until the world can wean itself off greenhouse-gas-emitting coal, oil and natural gas.
—Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
But he couldn’t be weaned off of the drug treatment used to keep his ammonia levels down (nitrogen scavenging medication).
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 16 May 2025
Haaretz, a leading Israeli news source, reported that Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday that Israel needs to start thinking about weaning itself off of U.S. military assistance.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wean
Cite this Entry
“Wean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wean. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wean
verb1
: 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 verb1
: 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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