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to wane
01
to gradually decrease in intensity, strength, importance, size, influence, etc.
Intransitive
Examples
The popularity of the trend is currently waning among the younger generation.
02
(of the moon) to gradually decrease in its visible illuminated surface as it progresses from full to new moon
Intransitive
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
wane
3rd person singular
wanes
Present participle
waning
Past simple
waned
Past participle
waned
Examples
The moon began to wane after the full moon.
Wane
01
a decrease in something
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Abstract
Composition
Simple
Uncountable
Examples
The empire 's influence was clearly in wane by the late 18th century.
02
(Scottish) a child
Slang
What does "wane" mean in Scottish slang?
It is used in Scotland, especially in the West of Scotland (Glasgow, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire), to mean a child. People typically say "The wee wanes are playing outside" or "How many wanes have you got?" The term originated in 19th or early 20th century Scottish slang, and remains a strong regional marker of West Central Scottish speech, equivalent to "bairn" in other parts of Scotland.
Examples
The wane was playing outside all afternoon.
