bottle

noun, often attributive bot·tle \ ˈbä-tᵊl \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of bottle

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

b : liquid food (such as milk) used in place of mother's milk

4 slang, British : mettle, courage

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bottleful

play \-ˌfu̇l\ noun

See bottle defined for English-language learners

See bottle defined for kids

Examples of bottle in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of bottle from the Web

Instead, fans continued to see Liv self-soothe alone with bottles of ’94 Du Bellay and gourmet popcorn.

— tanisha c. ford, The Atlantic, "The Episode That Captured the Best and Worst of Scandal," 19 Apr. 2018
In 2006, unidentified perpetrators stacked five large tires filled with bottles of gasoline against the back of her home and set them ablaze.

— nicholas kulish, New York Times, "In Journalist’s Murder, a Test for Malta, and the European Union," 17 Apr. 2018
Jim Chovick is adorably understated a Selsdon, a famous but hard-drinking actor who keeps disappearing with a whiskey bottle.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fleet-footed 'Noises Off' shines in its fluidity, laughs," 15 Apr. 2018
Sims suggests doing reverse flys with water bottles, since they’re done with light weights anyway.

— amy marturana, SELF, "Here's Exactly How to Start a Legit Workout Program Without Joining a Gym," 13 Apr. 2018
Prosecutors claim that Kat West was killed from getting hit with a Lucid Absinthe bottle.

— nicole darrah, Fox News, "Mom says exhibitionist Kat West wasn't murdered but fell to her death, citing drunken antics," 9 Apr. 2018
The argument turned into a fist fight in which Koonce hit Cameron with a bottle, the report says.

— courtney astolfi, cleveland.com, "Bullet shrapnel from Cleveland shooting strikes 2-year-old girl in face," 6 Apr. 2018
Rypien swallowed 150 Advils and washed them down with a bottle of wine.

— Houston Chronicle, "Former Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien says he attempted suicide," 30 Mar. 2018
To that end, if there is a hell, may Mark Conditt be well-seasoned with a whole bottle of Slap Ya Mama seasoning before being deep fried in a lake of fire.

— michael arceneaux, Essence.com, "'He Was Kind And Quiet:' On Racism, Humanity And How White Terrorists Are Often Treated Better Than Their Victims," 23 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bottle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bottle

Middle English botel, from Old French botele, from Medieval Latin butticula, diminutive of Late Latin buttis cask

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms

finish, gimlet, mull, sake, setup, sommelier, syllabub, vintner, wassail

bottle

verb

Definition of bottle

bottled; bottling play \ˈbä-tᵊl-iŋ, ˈbät-liŋ\

transitive verb

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

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bottler

play \ˈbä-tᵊl-ər, ˈbät-lər\ noun

See bottle defined for English-language learners

Examples of bottle in a Sentence

The restaurant bottles its own ginger ale.
Near the top of the mountain, the climbers relied on bottled oxygen to breathe.

Recent Examples of bottle from the Web

According to Johnson, the Chiefs — who rank 28th in the league in rush defense (131.1 yards per game) — are aware of the emphasis that must be placed on bottling up the league’s second-best rush offense (150.6 yards per game).

— terez a. paylor, kansascity, "Chiefs’ Derrick Johnson is gaining confidence in surgically-repaired Achilles," 4 Nov. 2017
Its specialty is Tungi (TOON-jee), a white spirit made from prickly pear and bottled in a beveled glass flask shaped to evoke the island’s famous (-ish) staircase.

— sara clemence, Bloomberg.com, "Napoleon’s Remote Island Prison Can Be Your Next Luxury Vacation Spot," 6 Oct. 2017
Ryle has scored 34, 48 and 49 points the past three weeks after being bottled up by the staunch CovCath defense.

— james weber, Cincinnati.com, "What football games to watch in Northern Kentucky, week 4," 14 Sep. 2017
Communicate your emotions rather than bottling them up.

— de elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "How to Cope If Your Best Friend Found a New BFF This Summer," 4 Sep. 2017
Some of that white rum is bottled and sold, while the rest is put back into barrels and aged longer.

— alyson sheppard, Esquire, "The Forbidden Fruit of Cuba Isn't Cigars—It's Rum," 12 Jan. 2017
Tomatoes Water 2 1/2-3 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes per quart 3/4 tsp Ball citric acid or 3 Tbsp bottled lemon juice Glass preserving jars with lids and bands Salt, optional 1.

— meghann foye, Redbook, "Ted Allen's Tricks for Pinterest-Worthy Preserves," 16 Aug. 2013
Mayfield has to bottle up his urge to go for the gusto on every snap.

— john shinn diehards, ajc, "No. 4 Oklahoma has questions to answer against West Virginia," 24 Nov. 2017
Gardendale city leaders are pursuing a split from Jefferson County in a process that has been bottled up in federal court.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Baldwin County seeks guidance from Alabama Attorney General on board member's eligibilty," 24 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of bottle

1594

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

BOTTLE Defined for English Language Learners

bottle

noun

Definition of bottle for English Language Learners

: a glass or plastic container that has a narrow neck and usually has no handle
: the amount contained in a bottle
the bottle : alcoholic drink

bottle

verb

Definition of bottle for English Language Learners

: to put (something) into a bottle so that it can be sold or so that it is easier to use
: to put (fruit or vegetables) in a jar using a special procedure that preserves them