| Wean | v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Weaned p. pr. & vb. n. Weaning. ] [ OE. wenen, AS. wenian, wennan, to accustom; akin to D. wennen, G. gewöhnen, OHG. giwennan, Icel. venja, Sw. vänja, Dan. vænne, Icel. vanr accustomed, wont; cf. AS. āwenian to wean, G. entwöhnen. 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 ] |
