bottle

A glass or plastic container with a narrow opening, usually used for liquids.

• The bottle is empty.
• She filled two bottles with water.
• Can you open this bottle?

Common phrases: plastic bottle, empty bottle, water bottle, bottle cap

The amount of liquid held in one glass or plastic container.

• We drank a bottle of water.
• He ordered two bottles of wine.
• Have you finished the whole bottle?

How to use it: a bottle of something (We shared a bottle of juice.)

Common phrases: bottle of wine, bottle of milk, drink a bottle

The courage to do something difficult or frightening.

• She has plenty of bottle.
• I lost my bottle before the jump.
• Have you got the bottle to tell him?

How to use it: have the bottle to do something (He had the bottle to challenge the boss.)

Similar words: courage, nerve, guts

Opposites: cowardice

Common phrases: have the bottle, lose your bottle, bottle to act

To keep your feelings inside instead of expressing them.

• Do not bottle up your anger.
• She bottled up her feelings for years.
• He bottles everything up until he explodes.

How to use it: bottle up something (You should not bottle up your sadness.)

Similar words: suppress, hold in

Opposites: express

Common phrases: bottle up feelings, bottle something up, bottle up anger

To put a liquid into glass or plastic containers and close them for later use.

• They bottle fresh apple juice.
• The wine was bottled last summer.
• This factory bottles water from a nearby spring.

Common phrases: bottle wine, bottle water, bottle the juice

To keep people or things trapped in a small space, unable to move freely.

• The enemy bottled up our troops.
• We were bottled up in a tiny room.
• Roadworks bottled up traffic for hours.

How to use it: bottle someone/something up in something (The storm bottled us up in the cabin.)

Similar words: confine, trap

Opposites: release

Common phrases: bottle someone up, bottle up traffic, bottle up troops

To decide against doing something at the last moment because you become afraid.

• I bottled it at the last second.
• She bottled the jump after looking down.
• He always bottles it when the pressure rises.

Similar words: chicken out, back out

Common phrases: bottle it, bottle a jump, bottle the challenge

To feed a baby milk made from formula through a container with a rubber teat.

• The nurse bottled the baby.
• She bottles her son before bed.
• They bottled the twins throughout their first year.

Similar words: bottle-feed

Opposites: breastfeed

Common phrases: bottle the baby, bottle an infant