plural bottles
1
a
: a glass or plastic container that has a narrow neck and usually has no handle
Note: Bottles are usually used to store liquid or tablets.
b
: the amount contained in a bottle
We drank a bottle of wine.
2
: alcoholic drink
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.
I hear he's (gone) off the bottle. [=stopped drinking alcohol]
After his divorce he took to the bottle. [=began to drink a lot of alcohol]
When she gets depressed she hits the bottle. [=begins drinking a lot of alcohol]
3
: a special bottle for feeding babies that contains milk or a drink which contains milk
Has the baby finished her bottle yet?
(US) a baby bottle = (Brit) a baby's bottle
raised on a bottle instead of breast milk
4
British slang
: courage or strength of spirit
I don't think he's got bottle [=guts] enough to confront them.
bottles; bottled; bottling
1
: to put (something) into a bottle so that it can be sold or so that it is easier to use
The restaurant bottles its own ginger ale.
Near the top of the mountain, the climbers relied on bottled oxygen to breathe.
bottled water
bottled gas [=gas that is stored in containers for people to use in heating their homes or for cooking]
2
British
: to put (fruit or vegetables) in a jar using a special procedure that preserves them
At the end of summer we bottle [=(US) can, preserve, put up] tomatoes from the garden.
Cite this Entry
“Bottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/bottle. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
