Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of 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.] 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. And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. --Gen. xxi. 8. 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. The troubles of age were intended . . . to wean us gradually from our fondness of life. --Swift.
\Wean\, n. A weanling; a young child. I, being but a yearling wean. --Mrs. Browning.