bottleneck

[bot-l-nek]

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.

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

/ 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

verb

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

bottleneck

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.

bottleneck

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bottleneck¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; bottle ¹ + neck

Example Sentences

The real bottleneck to AI adoption is that it requires changing whole workflows inside of companies, which typically involve more than one person, he adds.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The company’s management expects volume growth to resume next year with the resolution of the battery supply bottleneck and new generation plug-in hybrid model launches, he says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A digital kyat removes that bottleneck by creating a seamless payment infrastructure.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That comes at a pivotal moment: Lilly and Novo Nordisk have finally worked through the supply bottlenecks that once capped growth, and they are now preparing to launch pills for weight loss.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

China and Russia dominate the current uranium enrichment supply chain, which creates bottlenecks and geopolitical risks.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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