bottleneck

American  

[bot-l-nek] / ˈbɒt lˌnɛk /

noun

1. a narrow entrance or passageway.

2. a place or stage in a process at which progress is impeded.

3. Also called slide guitar.  a method of guitar playing that produces a gliding sound by pressing a metal bar or glass tube against the strings.

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verb (used with object)

1. to hamper or confine by or as if by a bottleneck.

verb (used without object)

1. to become hindered by or as if by a bottleneck.

bottleneck British  

/ ˈbɒtəlˌnɛk /

noun

1. 1. a narrow stretch of road or a junction at which traffic is or may be held up

   2. the hold up

2. something that holds up progress, esp of a manufacturing process

3. music

   1. 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

   2. the style of guitar playing using a bottleneck

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verb

1. (tr) to be or cause an obstruction in

bottleneck Scientific  

/ bŏt′l-nĕk′ /

1. An abrupt and severe reduction in the number of individuals during the history of a species, resulting in the loss of diversity from the gene pool. The generations following the bottleneck are more genetically homogenous than would otherwise be expected. Bottlenecks often occur in consequence of a catastrophic event.

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bottleneck Cultural  

1. The point at which an industry or economic system has to slow its growth because one or more of its components cannot keep up with demand.

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Etymology

Origin of bottleneck

First recorded in 1895–1900; bottle ¹ + neck

Example Sentences

Electricity is widely seen as the industry’s biggest bottleneck in the AI race, so companies are also changing their construction plans.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We are at the point where all these bottlenecks are going to impact investors.”

From Barron's

The November launch of Gemini 3 triggered another bottleneck in computing capacity.

From The Wall Street Journal

A significant benefit of the deal is the ability to bypass bottlenecks.

From The Wall Street Journal

The fire spread so quickly that many people were unable to make it to the emergency exit, leading to a bottleneck at the main exit, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• barrier
• blockage
• congestion
• hindrance
• impediment
• snag
• traffic jam