wean

Everyday

1. To wean a baby or young animal is to slowly stop feeding it only on its mother's milk and start giving it other food. tree →
2. To wean someone off something is to help them slowly stop needing or using it («wean off sugar», «wean off screens»). tree →
3. (Scotland, dialect) A wean is a small child. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons about life cycles, mammals feed their young on milk until they are weaned. In everyday life parents talk about weaning a baby onto mashed food, and people try to wean themselves off habits. In Scotland, «the weans» means the kids.

Examples

• Puppies are weaned at about eight weeks. tree →
• Mum is weaning the baby onto mashed carrots. tree →
• Lambs are weaned from their mothers in summer. tree →
• I am trying to wean myself off fizzy drinks. tree →
• The doctor weaned him off the medicine slowly. tree →
• (Scotland) Get the weans ready for school! tree →
• The calf was weaned and moved to the field. tree →

Note

Regular verb: weaned. Common pattern: «wean somebody off/from something», «wean onto solid food». Sounds like «ween»; the Scottish noun is pronounced «wayn».

In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: Abraham's feast for Isaac's weaning marks the child's growing up, and tradition notes the great feast showed joy in Isaac. In the Prophets and Psalms a weaned child is also a picture of calm and trust, as in Psalm 131, where the soul is quiet like a weaned child with its mother. In the primary lessons: In science lessons about life cycles, mammals feed their young on milk until they are weaned. In everyday life parents talk about weaning a baby onto mashed food, and people try to wean themselves off habits. In Scotland, «the weans» means the kids.

Examples

• And the child grew, and was weaned. (Torah GEN.21.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. (Torah GEN.21.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son. (Prophets HOS.1.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• Them that are weaned from the milk, them that are drawn from the breasts? (Prophets ISA.28.9, JPS 1917) tree →
• Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother; my soul is with me like a weaned child. (Writings PSA.131.2, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Regular verb: weaned. Common pattern: «wean somebody off/from something», «wean onto solid food». Sounds like «ween»; the Scottish noun is pronounced «wayn».