bottle
Pluralbottles
Verbbottles, bottling, bottled
Pluralbottles
Formsbottles, bottling, bottled
- 1A glass or plastic container with a narrow neck, used for holding liquids.
Like a cup with a narrow neck, so liquid pours out slowly.
She filled the bottle with cold water before her run.
The shelf was lined with empty bottles.
Similarflask
Note
- 2The amount of liquid that a bottle holds.
He drank a whole bottle of water after the game.
She poured a bottle of juice into the bowl.
UsageSay a bottle of water, juice or wine.
- 3To put a liquid into bottles and close them tightly to keep for later.
They bottle the juice fresh from the orchard.
Workers bottle thousands of drinks each day.
Note
- 4A container with a soft rubber tip, used to give milk to a baby.
She warmed the bottle before feeding the baby.
The nursery kept several bottles sterilized and ready.
- 5
Less common meanings
- 6Used before a hair color word to show that the color comes from dye, not nature.
Her aunt has been a bottle blonde for years.
His bottle black hair did not match his gray beard.
Note
- 7Courage or nerve, especially when doing something risky or scary.
Like the brave feeling you need before jumping into cold water.
It takes a lot of bottle to speak in front of a crowd.
He showed real bottle when he dived in to help.
UsageSay lose your bottle or have the bottle to do it.
Similarnerve, guts, courage, bravery, pluck
Oppositecowardice
Note
- 8To get scared and not do something at the last minute, or to lose when you were winning.
Like climbing to the top of a high slide and being too afraid to go down.
She wanted to ask for a raise but bottled it.
I said I would jump into the cold lake, but I might bottle it.
UsagePeople often say bottle it: I nearly bottled it.
Note
- 9To hit someone with a bottle, or throw bottles at someone on stage.
Someone bottled him during the brawl.
They will bottle you if you start trouble in there.
UsageOften said as was bottled or got bottled.
Note
- 10A bundle of something, especially hay, tied together.
Can you deny that you've been off and on lately between flunkydom and The Cause, like a donkey between two bottles of hay?
1850, [Charles Kingsley], Alton LockeHere, bottles means tied bundles of hay.Note
- 11To feed a baby milk from a bottle instead of from the breast.
- 12When printed pages turn a little out of line as the sheet is folded several times.
- 13An old word for a house or home.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
From an Old French word for a bottle, from a Late Latin word meaning a little cask.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- Bottle comes from an Old French word. en.wiktionary.org
- The Old French word derives from a Late Latin word. en.wiktionary.org
- The Late Latin source has the literal diminutive sense little cask. en.wiktionary.org
From an Old French word botel meaning a bundle, as of hay.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- Bottle in this sense derives from Old French botel. en.wiktionary.org
- Old French botel meant a bundle, such as a bundle of hay. fr.wiktionary.org