What does weaned mean?

Answer 1

Weaning is when you take the young animal away from its mother so that she stops feeding the young with her milk. It is a natural process that can be seen even in domesticated cats and dogs. Weaning and refusal to nurse maturing youngsters causes the menstrual cycle to start again and she can either be bred again if she's breeding stock, or she can be used for work if it's a horse or dog. ALL animals do this naturally, but some animals are separated by humans to speed up the process a little. (Note: Weaning too early, however, can adversely affect young babies.) Weaning is possible when other milk supplies such as separated milk are available or when a young animal stops relying on milk and starts eating a diet of solid foods.

Note: The same explanation applies to human babies and mothers. Even if bottle-fed, all babies go through weaning. If fed an adequate in-between mixture of soft foods leading to an diet of solid foods, weaning proceeds fairly easily.

Answer 2

Weaned refers to the process of gradually transitioning a baby or young animal from milk to solid food. It can also refer to reducing a dependence on a particular habit or behavior.