# wean

/ˈwin/ (US) · /wˈiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wean
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. stopping milk

verb · CEFR B2

to gradually stop feeding a baby or young animal with its mother's milk and start giving it other food.

For teachers: to accustom an infant or young animal to food other than its mother's milk. Transitive, though occasionally used intransitively to describe the natural process of the offspring.

- The farmer began to wean the calves when they were about eight weeks old.
- Pediatricians generally recommend that parents begin to wean infants onto solid foods around the six-month mark, depending on the child's developmental readiness.

### 3. a child

noun · CEFR C2 · Dialect

a word used in Scotland to mean a young child.

For teachers: a term for a small child, derived from 'wee one'.

- The woman was walking down the street with a tiny wean in a pram.
- In Glasgow, you might hear a parent telling their restless wean to behave while they wait for the bus.

Teaching tip: This is specifically associated with Scots and Northern Irish dialects; it is rarely used or understood outside these regions.

## Examples

- The doctor said it is time to wean the baby onto solid food.
- The patient is being weaned off the ventilator as his lung function improves over the next few days.
- The central bank must carefully wean the economy off its reliance on cheap credit before the interest rate hike begins to take full effect in the housing market.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.