wean
Meanings
Plural: weans
Verb
- gradually deprive (infants and young mammals) of mother's milk
- "she weaned her baby when he was 3 months old and started him on powdered milk"
- "The kitten was weaned and fed by its owner with a bottle"
- detach the affections of
- 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.
- To cease to depend on the mother's milk for nutrition.
- To cause to quit something to which one is addicted, dependent, or habituated.
- To cease to depend.
- To raise, to help grow toward maturity
Noun
- A young child.
Origin / Etymology
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.
Synonyms
Scrabble Score: 7
wean is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordwean is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
wean is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary
Words With Friends Score: 8
wean is a valid Words With Friends word