- Wean
- Wean Wean, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Weaned}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Weaning}.] [OE. wenen, AS. wenian, wennan, to accustom; akin
to D. wennen, G. gew["o]hnen, OHG. giwennan, Icel. venja, Sw.
v["a]nja, Dan. v[ae]nne, Icel. vanr accustomed, wont; cf. AS.
[=a]wenian to wean, G. entw["o]hnen. See {Wont}, a.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To accustom and reconcile, as a child or other young
animal, to a want or deprivation of mother's milk; to take
from the breast or udder; to cause to cease to depend on
the mother nourishment.
[1913 Webster]
And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. --Gen. xxi. 8. [1913 Webster]
2. Hence, to detach or alienate the affections of, from any object of desire; to reconcile to the want or loss of anything. ``Wean them from themselves.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]
The troubles of age were intended . . . to wean us gradually from our fondness of life. --Swift. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.