bottleneck
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
bot·tle·neck
(bŏt′l-nĕk′)n.
1.
a. A narrow or obstructed section, as of a highway or a pipeline.
b. A point or an area of traffic congestion.
2. A hindrance to progress or production.
3. The narrow part of a bottle near the top.
4. Music A style of guitar playing in which an object, such as a piece of glass or metal, is passed across the strings to achieve a gliding sound.
5. Biology An abrupt and severe reduction in the number of individuals during the history of a species of a population, often resulting in the loss of diversity from the gene pool.
tr.v. bot·tle·necked, bot·tle·neck·ing, bot·tle·necks
To slow down or impede by creating an obstruction.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
bottleneck
(ˈbɒtəlˌnɛk)n
1. (Automotive Engineering)
a. a narrow stretch of road or a junction at which traffic is or may be held up
b. the hold-up
2. something that holds up progress, esp of a manufacturing process
3. (Pop Music) music
a. the broken-off neck of a bottle placed over a finger and used to produce a buzzing effect in a style of guitar-playing originally part of the American blues tradition
b. the style of guitar-playing using a bottleneck
vb
(tr) US to be or cause an obstruction in
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
bot•tle•neck
(ˈbɒt lˌnɛk)n.
1. a narrow passageway.
2. a stage at which progress is impeded.
3. a method of guitar playing that produces a gliding sound by pressing a metal bar or glass tube against the strings.
v.t. 4. to hamper or confine by or as if by a bottleneck.
v.i. 5. to become hindered by or as if by a bottleneck.
[1895–1900]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
bottleneck
Past participle: bottlenecked
Gerund: bottlenecking
| Imperative |
|---|
| bottleneck |
| bottleneck |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | bottleneck - a narrowing that reduces the flow through a channel narrowing - an instance of becoming narrow |
| 2. | bottleneck - the narrow part of a bottle near the top | |
| Verb | 1. | bottleneck - slow down or impede by creating an obstruction; "His laziness has bottlenecked our efforts to reform the system" |
| 2. | bottleneck - become narrow, like a bottleneck; "Right by the bridge, the road bottlenecks" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
bottleneck
noun block, hold-up, obstacle, congestion, obstruction, impediment, blockage, snarl-up (informal, chiefly Brit.), (traffic) jam a town-centre bottleneck
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
dopravní zácpazúžení
flaskehals
útszûkület
flöskustútur, umferîastífla
dar geçit
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
bottle
(ˈbotl) noun a hollow narrow-necked container for holding liquids etc. a lemonade bottle.
verb to put into bottles.
ˈbottleneck noun a place where slowing down or stopping of traffic, progress etc occurs. a bottleneck caused by roadworks.
bottle up to prevent (eg one's feelings) from becoming obvious. Don't bottle up your anger.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.