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weaning |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: 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. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: weaning n : the act of substituting other food for the mother's milk in the diet of a child or young mammal [syn: {ablactation}]
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