weaning
A mother begins weaning her baby by offering a small spoonful of mashed banana.
Noun: The process or act of gradually accustoming an infant or young mammal to food other than its mother's milk, leading to the cessation of breastfeeding or nursing.
This term is used specifically in the contexts of child development, pediatrics, and animal husbandry to describe the deliberate transition from a milk-only diet to the inclusion of solid foods or formula. - It is a singular, uncountable noun. - It refers to the entire process, not a single event.
- Noun:
- The weaning of the baby began at six months.
- Proper weaning is important for the calf's development.
- She read a book about gentle weaning techniques.
- "Weaning onto/onto something": Introducing a specific type of food during this process.
- Weaning onto solid foods should be done gradually.
- "Weaning from/off something": The act of stopping dependence on something, used metaphorically.
- The economic plan focuses on weaning the country off foreign aid. (Note: This is a metaphorical extension.)
- Wean (verb): To accustom (a young mammal) to food other than its mother's milk.
- They decided to wean the baby slowly.
- Weanling (noun): A child or young animal that has recently been weaned.
- The weanling foal was separated from its mother.
- Abstraction (in the specific sense of withdrawal from the breast).
- Discontinuation (of breastfeeding/nursing).
- Weaning period: The timeframe during which weaning occurs.
- The weaning period for puppies is typically around 8 weeks.
- Weaning food/diet: The food introduced during weaning.
- Mashed vegetables are common weaning foods.
The core meaning is strictly related to the dietary transition from mother's milk. Its use in other contexts (e.g., "weaning off fossil fuels") is a figurative application meaning "to gradually make someone or something stop depending on a particular thing." This advanced, metaphorical usage is common but derives from the primary definition.
A mother begins weaning her baby by offering a small spoonful of mashed banana.
- the act of substituting other food for the mother's milk in the diet of a child or young mammal