bottle

1 of 2

noun

bot·​tle ˈbä-tᵊl 

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

: alcoholic beverages : the practice of drinking alcoholic beverages

… slipped deeper and deeper into the bottle …

—Anne Bernays

b

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

4

British slang : mettle, courage

bottleful

ˈbä-tᵊl-ˌfu̇l 

noun

bottle

2 of 2

verb

bottled; bottling 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

bottler

ˈbä-tᵊl-ər 

ˈbät-lər

noun

Synonyms of bottle

Noun

• drink
• liquor
• alcohol
• booze
• rum
• wine
• beer

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

Get a bottle of wine from the Kinderhook Bottle Shop to enjoy on the inn porch before dinner at the Mediterranean small-plate restaurant Isola (which even offers a discount for guests of the inn). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

Americans can brew beer in their kitchens and make wine at home, but just try making a bottle of whiskey or gin — and people can run afoul of a federal law that dates back more than 150 years. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Verb

Kristen is the designer who bottled the old-professor-office energy and transferred it to the two-story, 200-seat space. — Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026

The other new release is Series X, a blend of three different mashbills distilled from 2008 to 2017 which were blended together by Stirsman and bottled at 107 proof. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing bottle

• baby bottle
• bottle bank
• bottle/bleached/peroxide blonde
• bottle blond
• bottle club
• bottle episode
• bottle-feed
• bottle gourd
• bottle green
• bottle-nosed dolphin
• bottle opener
• bottle out
• bottle rocket
• bottle up
• bring a bottle
• bring your own bottle
• catch/capture lightning in a bottle
• hit the bottle
• hot-water bottle
• Klein bottle
• pilgrim bottle
• spin the bottle
• squeeze bottle
• the bottle
• took to the bottle
• vacuum bottle
• water bottle

Rhymes for bottle

• chrysotile
• nahuatl
• cottle
• glottal
• mottle
• pottle
• scrotal
• throttle
• wattle

Kids Definition

bottle

1 of 2 noun

bot·​tle ˈbät-ᵊl 

1

a

: a container (as of glass or plastic) with a narrow neck and mouth and usually no handle

b

: a bag made of skin used to hold a liquid

2

: the quantity held by a bottle

3

: a bottle with a rubber or plastic nipple for feeding an infant

bottleful

-ˌfu̇l 

noun

bottle

2 of 2 verb

bottled; bottling ˈbät-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to put into a bottle

2

: to shut up as if in a bottle : restrain

bottled up their anger

bottler

-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

noun

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