bottle

noun, often attributive

bot·tle | \ ˈbä-tᵊl

Definition of bottle

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

3a : 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

bottle

verb

bottled; bottling\ ˈbä-tᵊl-iŋ

, ˈbät-liŋ \

Definition of bottle (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from bottle Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about bottle

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Other Words from bottle

Noun

bottleful \ ˈbä-tᵊl-ˌfu̇l

\ noun

Verb

bottler \ ˈbä-tᵊl-ər

, ˈbät-lər \ noun

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: Noun

Once they are released, every bottle is hand-numbered and signed by the winemaker. — Karen Lubeck, Town & Country, "The 2017 Vintage Makes Its Star Debut at the Premiere Napa Valley Wine Auction," 4 Mar. 2019 Even unopened bottles can expire after three years. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "How to Tell If Your Sunscreen Is Expired, According to Dermatologists," 15 Feb. 2019 Sterilize bottles in boiling water or the microwave. — Jenny Marder, The Seattle Times, "There’s mold in your kids’ bath toys (and that’s probably OK)," 12 Feb. 2019 That includes the squirt bottle containing a mix of distilled water and soap that’s used to keep the tattoo clean during the session. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "A Tattoo Artist's Guide to Your First Tattoo," 2 Jan. 2019 So many of the great American writers were drunks — Chandler, Cheever, Faulkner, Fitzgerald — that writing, one assumed, must be enhanced, even made possible, by a drink... or, even better, a whole bottle. — Constance Grady, Vox, "On January 1, dozens of literary classics will enter the public domain," 29 Dec. 2018 To make a room spray, add a few drops of an essential oil combination into a spritz bottle and fill with water. — Alyssa Nassner, Curbed, "Cleansing 101: Keeping your home’s energy in check," 17 Oct. 2018 Many in the caravan traveled light, with just backpacks and bottles of water. — Fox News, "Honduran migrant caravan crosses Guatemala border, US-bound," 15 Oct. 2018 On one table are Depression-era objects from Rabbithole Springs, including bottle glass and pencil stubs. — Jonathon Keats, Discover Magazine, "The Vanishing City," 13 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Constantine is troubled by a dark past and bottled up in that familiar male anti-heroic way. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, "Three New Crime Shows To Get Hooked on Now," 12 Jan. 2019 The Seahawks made just 16 rushing attempts, with first-round draft pick Rashaad Penny, in particular, bottled up for just eight yards on seven carries. — Larry Stone, The Seattle Times, "Loss to Broncos shows Seahawks fans should brace themselves for a rollercoaster season," 10 Sep. 2018 The Verge explores the latest developments in energy storage, from those giant batteries to infinitely spinning flywheels to bottling gas in underground caverns. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "Why the future of the power grid depends on giant batteries," 14 Aug. 2018 In Game 1 of this matchup between Boston and Tampa Bay, the Bruins’ top line showed up in a big way, while the Lightning were bottled up in a 6–2 Bruins win. — Tim Hackett, SI.com, "Stanley Cup Playoffs Roundup: Sharks Break Through Against Vegas; Bruins Topple Lightning," 29 Apr. 2018 Among his portfolio are blends that capture his childhood library, his grandfather’s saw mill, and — praise be — hikes in the woods, bottled in Wild Hunt. — Jane Larkworthy, The Cut, "Why Does Everyone Want to Smell Like Dirt?," 17 Apr. 2018 Just seconds after the mass start began and with skiers still bottled up in lines, Krueger appeared to slip in mid-stride and his right ski came out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground. — USA TODAY, "Norwegian skier Simen Hegstad Krueger crashes early, breaks pole, still wins gold medal," 11 Feb. 2018 It's bottled like a serum with an especially rich, non-greasy texture, and a slight botanical scent (this is Flower Beauty, after all). — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Exclusive: Drew Barrymore Is Launching Flower Beauty's First Skin-Care Product, the Supernova Celestial Skin Elixir," 4 Sep. 2018 That way, party leaders or narrow factions can’t bottle them up by using parliamentary tactics or just plain refusing to bring broadly- supported legislation up for a vote. — Derek Kilmer, Time, "How to Stop Government Shutdowns," 24 Jan. 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.