weaning

Pronunciation: wēn′ing

Definition:

1. Transition of the human infant from breast-feeding or bottle nursing and commencement of nourishment with other food.
2. Gradual withdrawal of a patient from dependency on a life-support system or other form of therapy.
3. Gradual elimination of physical or psychological dependence on a harmful or otherwise inappropriate substance or activity.
4. In veterinary medicine, the process of removal of the offspring from the dam; complete housing separation is often combined with removal of nursing support; or of bottled milk as a source of nutrition in those animals already taken off the dam; both processes are preceded by creep feeding.

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