different between disentangle vs wean

English

Etymology

dis- +? entangle

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?d?s?n?tæ????]

Verb

disentangle (third-person singular simple present disentangles, present participle disentangling, simple past and past participle disentangled)

1. (transitive) To free something from entanglement; to extricate or unknot.

   I had to disentangle him from his own shoelaces.

2. (transitive) To unravel; to separate into discrete components or units.
3. (intransitive) To become free or untangled.

Synonyms

• untangle

Related terms

• tangle

Translations

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English wenen, from Old English wenian (“to accustom; habituate; train; prepare; make fit”), from Proto-Germanic *wanjan? (“to make wont; accustom”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh?- (“to strive for; wish; love”). Cognate with Dutch wennen, German gewöhnen, Danish vænne, Swedish vänja, Icelandic venja. Related via PIE to wone, wont, and wonder, and perhaps win.

Pronunciation

• enPR: w?n, IPA^(key): /wi?n/
• Rhymes: -i?n

Verb

wean (third-person singular simple present weans, present participle weaning, simple past and past participle weaned)

1. (transitive) To cease giving breast milk to an offspring; to accustom and reconcile (a child or young animal) to a want or deprivation of mother's milk; to take from the breast or udder.

   • Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

2. (intransitive) To cease to depend on the mother's milk for nutrition.

3. (transitive, by extension, normally "wean off") To cause to quit something to which one is addicted, dependent, or habituated.
4. (intransitive, by extension) To cease to depend.

Related terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Blend of wee +? ane (“one”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?wi?(?)n/, /?we?(?)n/, [we?n]

Noun

wean (plural weans)

1. (Scotland, Ulster) A small child.

Anagrams

• Ewan, Newa, anew, wane

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wæ???n/

Noun

w?an m

1. inflection of w?a:
   1. accusative/genitive/dative singular
   2. nominative/accusative plural

Scots

Etymology

wee +? ane

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [wen], [?w??n]

Noun

wean (plural weans)

1. young child

Synonyms

• bairnie

Derived terms

• weanish