wean
WEEN
/wiːn/
To accustom a young mammal to food other than its mother's milk.
Can refer literally to livestock management, or metaphorically to detaching someone from a habit or dependency.
The story behind the word. From Old English wenian, meaning 'to accustom' or 'train.' Over time, the meaning specialized from 'accustoming a young mammal to food other than its mother's milk' to its modern sense of separation and independence.
Word relationships
- detach: Detach is a general term for separating things, while wean specifically refers to transitioning off milk or a dependency.
- suckle: Suckle means to feed a young animal with milk from the breast or udder, which is the opposite of weaning.
Commonly confused with
- deprive: Deprive means to take away something necessary, whereas weaning is a natural, healthy developmental transition.
Word family
- weaning (noun): The process of accustoming a young mammal to food other than milk.
- weanling (noun): A newly weaned animal.
Collocations
- wean off
- wean onto
- gradually wean
- weaned calf
Example sentences
- "Farmers typically wean dairy calves from milk replacer to solid starter feed at around six to eight weeks of age." A guide on raising dairy calves.
Memory hook
Wean sounds like 'teen'—when a calf is weaned, it is growing up and becoming independent, like a teenager. Wean means to transition off milk.
When not to use
Do not use to describe simply feeding an animal; it must involve the transition away from milk.
Fun facts
- In beef cattle farming, calves are usually weaned naturally by their mothers at around six months, whereas dairy calves are weaned much earlier by farmers.
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