Making independent (from)

• Detach the affections of
• Deprive (infants) of mother's milk
• The act of substituting other food for the mother's milk in the diet of a child or young mammal
• Gradually withdrawing (from)

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk. The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk. The infant is considered to be fully weaned ...

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. The (passive) process of a child or animal ceasing to be dependant on the mother for nourishment. vb. (present participle of wean English)

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. the act of substituting other food for the mother's milk in the diet of a child or young mammal [syn: ablactation ]

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Wean \Wean\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Weaned ; p. pr. & vb. n. Weaning .] [OE. wenen, AS. wenian, wennan, to accustom; akin to D. wennen, G. gew["o]hnen, OHG. giwennan, Icel. venja, Sw. v["a]nja, Dan. v[ae]nne, Icel. vanr accustomed, wont; cf. AS. To accustom ...