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
: intoxicating drink : the practice of drinking
slipped deeper and deeper into the bottle—
Anne Bernays
Anne Bernays
b
: liquid food (such as milk) used in place of mother's milk
bottled; bottling
ˈbä-tᵊl-iŋ 
ˈbät-liŋ
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
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
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
Consumers are advised to check their medication bottles and contact their healthcare provider or pharmacy for guidance.
—Amber Brenza, Health, 24 Oct. 2025
Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
Guests can also bottle their own whiskey straight from the barrel and dine at the onsite restaurant.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Combine equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and water in a bowl or spray bottle.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
Consumers are advised to check their medication bottles and contact their healthcare provider or pharmacy for guidance.
—Amber Brenza, Health, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Louisville would probably look quite different if the founder of Brown-Forman never became the first whiskey maker to bottle and seal his liquor.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
Guests can also bottle their own whiskey straight from the barrel and dine at the onsite restaurant.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bottle
Cite this Entry
“Bottle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share