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# wean

verb (wean, weans, weaned, weaning); noun (a wean — Scottish dialect, a child)

«wean» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#m1)
2. To wean someone off something is to help them slowly stop needing or using it («wean off sugar», «wean off screens»). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#m2)
3. (Scotland, dialect) A wean is a small child. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#m3)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#x1)
- Mum is weaning the baby onto mashed carrots. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#x2)
- Lambs are weaned from their mothers in summer. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#x3)
- I am trying to wean myself off fizzy drinks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#x4)
- The doctor weaned him off the medicine slowly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#x5)
- (Scotland) Get the weans ready for school! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#x6)
- The calf was weaned and moved to the field. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/#x7)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wean/#x1)
- And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. (Torah GEN.21.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wean/#x2)
- Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son. (Prophets HOS.1.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wean/#x3)
- Them that are weaned from the milk, them that are drawn from the breasts? (Prophets ISA.28.9, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wean/#x4)
- 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wean/#x5)

### Note

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

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «wean» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/wean/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«wean» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/wean.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «wean» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/W/wean/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«wean» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/wean.html) on Mova free.