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Weal vs Wean - What's the difference?

weal | wean |

As nouns the difference between weal and wean

is that weal is wealth, riches while wean is a small child.

As verbs the difference between weal and wean

is that weal is to mark with stripes; to wale while wean is to cease giving 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.

weal

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) Wealth, riches.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • as we love the weal of our souls and bodies
  • * Milton
    • to him linked in weal or woe
  • Specifically, the general happiness of a community, country etc. (often with qualifying word).
  • * Macaulay
    • Never was there a time when it more concerned the public weal that the character of the Parliament should stand high.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1960 , author= , title=(Jeeves in the Offing) , section=chapter IV , passage=The austerity of my tone seemed to touch a nerve and kindle the fire that always slept in this vermilion-headed menace to the common weal [...].}}
  • * 2002 , , The Great Nation , Penguin 2003, p. 372:
    • Louis could aim to restyle himself the first among citizens, viewing virtuous attachment to the public weal as his most important kingly duty.

    Derived terms

    * (l) * (l) * (l)
    Related terms
    * in weal or woe

    Etymology 2

    See wale

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a raised, longitudinal wound, usually purple, on the surface of flesh caused by stroke of rod or whip; a welt.
    • Synonyms
    * wheal

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To mark with stripes; to wale.

    • Anagrams

    * English terms with homophones

    wean

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl) wenian.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cease giving 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.
    • The cow has weaned her calf.
  • * Bible, Genesis xxi. 8
    • Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned .
  • To cause to quit something to which one is addicted or habituated.
    • He managed to wean himself off heroin.
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • The troubles of age were intended to wean us gradually from our fondness of life.
  • To cease to depend on the mother for nourishment.
    • The kittens are finally weaning .
  • To cease to depend.
    • She is weaning from her addiction to tobacco.

    Etymology 2

    .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Scotland) A small child.
  • * 2008 , (James Kelman), Kieron Smith, Boy , Penguin 2009, p. 92:
    • Pigs, cows and sheep and wee ducks, that was what he bought and it was just for weans and wee lasses. I said it to my maw.
    Oh it is not weans' it is children. Oh Kieron, it is children and girls, do not say ' weans and lasses.
  • * Elizabeth Browning
    • I, being but a yearling wean .

    Anagrams

    * * * ----