n. & v.
n. 1 a container, usu. of glass or plastic and with a narrow neck, for storing liquid. 2 the amount that will fill a bottle. 3 a baby's feeding-bottle. 4 = hot-water bottle. 5 a metal cylinder for liquefied gas. 6 Brit. sl. courage, confidence.
v.tr. 1 put into bottles or jars. 2 preserve (fruit etc.) in jars. 3 (foll. by up) a conceal or restrain for a time (esp. a feeling). b keep (an enemy force etc.) contained or entrapped. 4 (as bottled adj.) sl. drunk. bottle bank a place where used bottles may be deposited for recycling. bottle-brush 1 a cylindrical brush for cleaning inside bottles. 2 any of various plants with a flower of this shape. bottle-green a dark shade of green. bottle party a party to which guests bring bottles of drink. bottle tree any of various Australian trees of the genus Brachychiton with a swollen bottle-shaped trunk. hit the bottle sl. drink heavily. on the bottle sl. drinking (alcoholic drink) heavily. bottleful n. (pl. -fuls).
[ ME f. OF botele, botaille f. med.L butticula dimin. of LL buttis BUTT(4) ]