bottle-feed

[ bot-l-feed ]

verb (used with object)

, bot·tle-fed, bot·tle-feed·ing.

1. to nurse or feed (an infant or young animal) with milk or other nourishment from a nursing bottle.
2. to nurture or teach with exaggerated care:

   We had to bottle-feed the new salesman on how to make door-to-door calls.

verb (used without object)

, bot·tle-fed, bot·tle-feed·ing.

1. to feed an infant or young animal from a nursing bottle.

bottle-feed

verb

1. to feed (a baby) with milk from a bottle instead of breast-feeding

Word History and Origins

Origin of bottle-feed¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Related Words

• cradle
• feed
• nourish