wean

wean (away) from (something)

1. To accustom a baby or an infant mammal to stop relying solely on its mother's milk so as to take nourishment from some other source of food. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "wean" and "(away) from." Doctors currently don't recommend weaning babies away from breastmilk before they are six months old. Some seal pups are weaned from their mothers' teat after only two weeks.
2. To slowly or gradually stop doing, ingesting, or consuming something to which one has developed a strong habit or dependency. I'm trying to wean away from so many fatty foods and start eating more fruits and vegetables. Some people are able to wean from smoking gradually, while other people find it better to stop completely all at once.
3. To force or accustom someone to the gradual withdrawal from some action or thing to which they have developed a strong habit or dependency. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "wean" and "(away) from." I want to start weaning the kids away from TV and video games on the weekends and get them to read or play outside more. The medication helps wean patients off alcohol by simulating its effects in the brain.
See also: wean

wean off (of) (something)

1. To accustom a baby or an infant mammal to stop relying solely on its mother's milk so as to take nourishment from some other source of food. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "wean" and "off." Doctors currently don't recommend weaning babies off breast milk before they are six months old. Some seal pups are weaned off of their mothers' teat after only two weeks.
2. To slowly or gradually stop doing, ingesting, or consuming something to which one has developed a strong habit or dependency. I'm trying to wean off fatty foods and start eating more fruits and vegetables. Some people are able to wean off of smoking gradually, while other people find it easier to stop completely all at once.
3. To force or accustom someone to the gradual withdrawal from some action or thing to which they have developed a strong habit or dependency. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "wean" and "off." I want to start weaning the kids off of TV and video games on the weekends and get them to read or play outside instead. The medication helps wean patients off alcohol by simulating its effects in the brain.
See also: off, wean

wean on (something)

1. To accustom a baby or infant mammal to solid food or some source of nourishment other than breastmilk. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wean" and "on"; often used in passive constructions. Children in this village are weaned on fish meat from as early as three months of age. Emerging evidence is suggesting that farmers should begin weaning piglets on feed closer to 28 days after birth, as opposed to the traditional age of three weeks.
2. To accustom a person to something at great length from a very young age. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wean" and "on"; often used in passive constructions. More and more parents are weaning their kids on smart devices as a form of substitute childcare, which in turn results in a decline in social interactions and physical activity. For a generation weaned on schlocky B movies of the 1980s, this film will be a nostalgia-driven delight.
See also: on, wean
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

wean someone (away) from something

to force someone or an animal to break a habit. (Fig. on the notion of ending the dependence of a young creature on milk alone.) It was almost impossible to wean her from her high spending habits. We couldn't wean away the dog from its mother.
See also: wean
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

wean from

or wean off
v.
1. To accustom some young mammal to nourishment other than something, as the mother's milk, obtained by suckling: The mother weaned the child from breast milk. The child was weaned from the breast.
2. To detach someone from something to which one is strongly habituated or devoted: I finally weaned myself from cigarettes. They were weaned from their drug habits at the rehabilitation center.
See also: wean

wean on

v.
1. To accustom some infant mammal to take nourishment other than by suckling: The mother weaned the child on formula.
2. Slang To accustom someone to something from an early age. Used chiefly in the passive: Moviegoers who were weaned on the TV series will find the film to their liking.
See also: on, wean
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • wean (away) from (something)
  • wean from
  • wean off (of) (something)
  • wean on
  • wean on (something)
  • accustom
  • accustom (one) to (something)
  • accustom to
  • accustomed
  • accustomed to
References in periodicals archive
* Revised respiratory data-collection efforts to more accurately measure wean rates and unplanned tracheostomy tube decannulations, and respond to any trends or concerns.
Upgrading respiratory services
Under the target (average) conditions, a producer expects to wean 10% of the sows early (five to six sows).
Chapter 17 Management of the breeding herd
Dieffenbacher North America Epco Erie Mill & Press Farrel Fremont Tool & Die French Oil Mill Machinery Gluco Hudson Machinery Hull Iddon Brothers International Industrial Product Jaygo Kent Machine Kobelco Stewart Bolling Krupp Rubber Machinery Lamac Process McNeil & NRM MKB Industries Modem Hydraulic Nerpco Pathex International PHI Herman Schwabe Shaw-Almex Sivon Manufacturing Wabash Metal Products Wean Industries Williams-White & Co.
Machinery industry optimistic for 1992
Pigs weaned per farrowing crate per yr The number of pigs weaned/yr divided by the average number of farrowing crates during the same time period.
B Glossary
Consistent with previous research, younger mothers, lone parents, those with lower educational attainment, or lower family income were found to be more likely to wean early.
Weaning: what influences the timing?
"Within a couple of days of starting to wean Aria I realised baby-led felt like the most natural thing to do," she says.
How should you wean your baby? HEALTH
Either they should embrace the Turkish Cypriots and extend to them the love, respect and care which should be extended to all the citizens of Cyprus or they should abandon their desire to wean and accept the consequences of their failure.
The celebrated 'weaning process'
QI WANT to wean my baby, but I don't know how to start or what foods to give her.
ASK THE EXPERT; WHAT FOODS SHOULD I GIVE MY WEANING BABY?
So why bother to wean at all if eventually the dam will dry up, or stop lactating, anyway?
Low stress weaning: three methods to ensure your baby animals transition from mother's milk to solid feed more easily
The ratio of heavy to light nitrogen drops as juveniles wean from their mothers' milk, but babies nurse longer than usual if they're stressed by lack of food, Cherney said.
Hunting implicated in ice age die-off: warming didn't wipe out mammoths, study of tusks suggests
The 14-strong range of purees are 100% natural and organic and are made just like parents would make at home if following the advice given in most parenting books on how to wean babies onto solids.
New to the frozen food category--Mumpreneur takes away the stress of weaning babies onto solid food
Wean only health calvesas it will help to reduce pathogen attack.
Strategies to minimise post-weaning stress
Spoon-feeding is one of the most popular methods adopted by majority of the parents to wean their baby onto solid food.
Infant Feeding Style Matters: Study Links Spoon-Feeding to Childhood Obesity
But some parents choose to wean early and baby foods are often marked as "suitable from four months".
Nutrients lacking for babies
If you wean calves early, you have fewer problems and can better control the production environment."
Early weaning: a good bet for beef producers in drought-stricken areas