bottle-feed

verb

bot·​tle-feed ˈbä-tᵊl-ˌfēd 

bottle-fed; bottle-feeding

transitive verb

: to feed with a bottle

bottle-feed an infant

Examples of bottle-feed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When Ellison arrived, twelve years ago, he was put to work bottle-feeding the calves and transitioning them to grain. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

The zoo shared a photo of you bottle-feeding a sloth? — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026

How Animal Lovers Can Help For readers who have ever bottle-fed a baby animal, comforted a frightened pet or simply paused to watch a deer step out of the woods at dusk, Forest’s story is a familiar kind of heartbreak — and a familiar kind of hope. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026

Wildlife rehabbers know this, which is why bottle-feeding a fawn is generally treated as a last resort, done with gloves, silence and minimal eye contact whenever possible. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1869, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bottle-feed

• aniseed
• centipede
• cottonseed
• disagreed
• ganymede
• guaranteed
• intercede
• overspeed
• pedigreed
• refereed
• supercede
• supersede

Kids Definition

bottle-feed

verb

bot·​tle-feed

ˈbät-ᵊl-ˌfēd

bottle-fed; bottle-feeding

: to feed (as an infant) with a bottle

Medical Definition

bottle-feed

transitive verb

bot·​tle-feed ˈbät-ᵊl-ˌfēd 

bottle-fed; bottle-feeding

: to feed (an infant) from a bottle rather than by breastfeeding