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wean

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wean¹

  • /ˈwiːn/
  • [ˈwɪi̯n]

Sounds like ween · Rhymes with -iːn

Where it comes from

From Middle English wenen, from Old English wenian (“to accustom; habituate; train; prepare; make fit”), from Proto-West Germanic *wannjan, from Proto-Germanic *wanjaną (“to make wont; accustom”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to strive for; wish; love”).

Cognate with Dutch wennen, German gewöhnen, Danish vænne, Swedish vänja, Icelandic venja. Related via PIE to wone, wont, and wonder, and perhaps win.

verb weans · weaning · weaned

  1. transitive To cease giving breast milk to an offspring; to accustom and reconcile (a child or young animal) to a want or deprivation of mother's milk; to take from the breast or udder. The cow has weaned her calf.
  2. broadly, often, transitive, followed by on To habituate (someone) to something, especially since childhood. His generation was weaned on 1980's music.
  3. intransitive To cease to depend on the mother's milk for nutrition. The kittens are finally weaning.
  4. broadly, transitive, normally "wean off" To cause to quit something to which one is addicted, dependent, or habituated. He managed to wean himself off heroin.
  5. broadly, intransitive To cease to depend. She is weaning from her addiction to tobacco.
  6. broadly, obsolete, transitive To raise, to help grow toward maturity For they are friends that help to weane my ſtate, Till men and kingdomes help to ſtrengthen it: […]

wean²

  • /ˈwiː(ə)n/
  • /ˈweɪ(ə)n/
  • [weːn]

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Scots wean (literally “wee one”).

noun weans

  1. Scotland A young child. I, being but a yearling wean.

Wean³

proper noun

  1. A locality in the Gunnedah council area and the Narrabri council area, northern New South Wales, Australia.

Translations

Every language

verb to cease giving milk

Españoldestetar, desmamar
Portuguêsdesmamar
Françaissevrer
Deutschabstillen, entwöhnen
Italianosvezzare
Ελληνικάαπογαλακτίζω apogalaktízo
Românăînțărca
Русскийотнима́ть от груди́ otnimátʹ ot grudí, отня́ть от груди́ otnjátʹ ot grudí, отлуча́ть otlučátʹ, отлучи́ть otlučítʹ
Tiếng Việtdứt sữa, cai sữa
العربيةفَطَمَ faṭama
עבריתגמל gamál

verb to cease to depend on the mother for nourishment

Españoldestetarse, desmamarse
日本語乳離れさせる chichibanare saseru
Ελληνικάαπογαλακτίζομαι apogalaktízomai
Русскийотуча́ть от груди́ otučátʹ ot grudí, отучи́ть от груди́ otučítʹ ot grudí, отуча́ть otučátʹ, отучи́ть otučítʹ
العربيةاِنْفَطَمَ infaṭama

verb to cause to quit something to which one is addicted or habituated

Españoldeshabituar, desengancharse
Françaisdéshabituer
Italianodisabituare

verb to cease to depend

日本語やめさせる yame saseru
Françaissevrer
Deutschentwöhnen
Русскийотвыка́ть от груди́ breastfeeding, отвы́кнуть от груди́ otvýknutʹ ot grudí, отвыка́ть otvykátʹ, отвы́кнуть otvýknutʹ

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MLA

"wean." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/wean. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

wean. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/wean

Chicago

"wean." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/wean.

BibTeX
@misc{wean_2026,
  title = {wean},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/wean},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}