Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of substituting other food for the mother's milk in the diet of a child or young mammal: This refers to the process of weaning, where an infant or young animal stops feeding on its mother's milk and begins to consume other forms of nourishment.
   • The cessation of lactation: This refers to the process or point at which a mother stops producing milk.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The pediatrician discussed a gentle schedule for the baby's ablactation.
  • Ablactation in mammals is a natural developmental stage.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Medical Context: The term is primarily used in formal, medical, veterinary, or biological contexts.
  • The study observed the hormonal changes associated with ablactation in dairy cows.

Variants and Related Words

• Wean (verb): The more common verb for the process described by "ablactation."
  • They decided to wean the baby at six months.
• Weaning (noun): The common noun for the process.
  • The weaning process went smoothly.

Synonyms

• Weaning: The act of accustoming an infant or young mammal to food other than its mother's milk.
• Discontinuation of breastfeeding: A descriptive phrase for the process.

Notes on Usage

• "Ablactation" is a highly formal and technical term. In everyday English, the words "weaning" (noun) and "to wean" (verb) are almost always used instead.
• It is not typically used in idioms or phrasal verbs.

Noun

1. the act of substituting other food for the mother's milk in the diet of a child or young mammal
2. the cessation of lactation