WEAN

Wean. Wean
Among the Hebrews children (whom it was customary for the mothers to nurse, Ex. 2:7-9; 1 Sam. 1:23; Cant. 8:1) were not generally weaned till they were three or four years old.

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wean. Wean, v.t. to deprive of the breast, to take

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Wean (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weaned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Weaning.] [[OE. wenen, AS. wenian, wennan, to accustom; akin to D. wennen, G. gewöhnen, OHG. giwennan, Icel. venja, Sw. vänja, Dan. vænne, Icel. vanr accustomed, wont; cf. AS. āwenian to wean, G. entwöhnen. See Wont, a.]] 1. 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. 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.