transitive verb

1. to cause (a child or young animal) to become accustomed gradually to food other than its mother's milk; to cause to give up suckling; now, often, to cause to give up drinking milk from a bottle with a nipple
2. to withdraw (a person) by degrees (from a habit, object of affection, occupation, etc.), as by substituting some other interest
3. to be raised on or brought up with; to become accustomed to: with on weaned on good books

Etymology: ME wenen < OE wenian, to accustom, train, with sense of awenian, to wean < a- (< af-, away) + wenian < IE base *wen-, to desire, attain, be satisfied > L venus, love

noun

Etymology: contr. of Scot wee ane, little one