often attributive
1
a
: a rigid or semirigid container typically of glass or plastic having a comparatively narrow neck or mouth and usually no handle
b
: a usually bottle-shaped container made of skin for storing a liquid
2
: the quantity held by a bottle
3
a
: intoxicating drink : the practice of drinking
slipped deeper and deeper into the bottle—
Anne Bernays
Anne Bernays
b
: liquid food (such as milk) used in place of mother's milk
bottled; bottling
ˈbä-tᵊl-iŋ 
ˈbät-liŋ
1
a
: to confine as if in a bottle : restrain
—usually used with up
bottling up their anger
b
: to put or keep in a position or situation that makes free activity, progress, or escape difficult or impossible
—usually used with up
bottle up legislation in committee
2
: to put into or as if into a bottle
wished she could bottle their energy
Examples of bottle in a Sentence
Noun
We drank a bottle of wine.
He says he's lost too many years to the bottle, and that he's giving up alcohol.
Her struggles with the bottle affected her entire family.
Has the baby finished her bottle yet?
raised on a bottle instead of breast milk
Verb
The restaurant bottles its own ginger ale.
Near the top of the mountain, the climbers relied on bottled oxygen to breathe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Unlike flowers that may send your recipient running for a vase or a bottle of wine that requires chilling, a puzzle can sit out on a picnic table all afternoon, no harm, no foul.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
That agave is milled to extract its juice and left to ferment, after which it is distilled twice (usually) and bottled.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottle
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Noun
When someone in the background scolds him, the dog quickly jumps off the counter, knocking over a few bottles.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Unlike flowers that may send your recipient running for a vase or a bottle of wine that requires chilling, a puzzle can sit out on a picnic table all afternoon, no harm, no foul.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
Verb
Known for their barrel-proof offerings, Tumblin Dice whiskeys are selected, aged, and bottled to highlight rye's bold aroma and flavor characteristics.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
That agave is milled to extract its juice and left to ferment, after which it is distilled twice (usually) and bottled.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottle
Cite this Entry
“Bottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
bottle
noun
bot·tle
ˈbät-ᵊl
often attributive
1
: a rigid or semirigid container typically of glass or plastic having a comparatively narrow neck or mouth and usually no handle see wash bottle
2
: liquid food usually consisting of milk and supplements that is fed from a bottle (as to an infant) in place of mother's milk
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