wean

UK: /ˈwiːn/ US: /win/ ,(wēn)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

wean /win/   v. [~ + object]

1. Zoology, Developmental Biology to cause (a child or young animal) to become accustomed to or used to food other than the mother's milk.
2. to cause a person to withdraw from an undesirable object or practice:
   weaned him from his bad spending habits.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

wean  (wēn), v.t. 

1. Zoology to accustom (a child or young animal) to food other than its 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.
3. wean on, 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.

• bef. 1000; Middle English wenen, Old English wenian; cognate with Dutch wennen, German gewöhnen, Old Norse venja to accustom

wean•ed•ness  (wē′nid nis, wēnd′-), n. 
wean, +v. 

1. wean on, to accustom to or familiarize with something from, or as if from, childhood (usually fol. by on):
   a brilliant student weaned on the classics; suburban kids weaned on rock music.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

wean / wiːn/ verb (transitive)

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

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

wean / weɪn wiːn/ noun

1. a child; infant

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