weaning

Verb

wean (third-person singular simple present weans, present participle weaning, simple past and past participle 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.
   1. (broadly, often, transitive, chiefly passive voice) To habituate (someone) to something, especially since childhood.
      • His generation was weaned on 1980's music.
2. (intransitive) To cease to depend on the mother's milk for nutrition.
   • The kittens are finally weaning.
3. (broadly, transitive) To cause to quit something to which one is addicted, dependent, or habituated.
   • He managed to wean himself off heroin.
4. (broadly, intransitive) To cease to depend.
   • She is weaning from her addiction to tobacco.
5. (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: […]c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC...

See all 8 meanings of wean