bottleneck

[ bot-l-nek ]

/ ˈbɒt lˌnɛk /

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See synonyms for: bottleneck / bottlenecked / bottlenecking on Thesaurus.com

noun

a narrow entrance or passageway.

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

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)

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

verb (used without object)

to become hindered by or as if by a bottleneck.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of bottleneck

First recorded in 1895–1900; bottle¹ + neck

Words nearby bottleneck

bottle gourd, bottle green, bottlehead, bottle imp, bottle-jack, bottleneck, bottlenose, bottle-nosed dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, bottle-nosed whale, bottle-o

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bottleneck in a sentence

Others fall outside the realm of science, like manufacturing bottlenecks, distribution challenges, vaccine hesitancy, and fear of medical establishments spreads through social media.
Vaccines won’t eradicate Covid-19—and that’s ok|Katherine Ellen Foley|February 11, 2021|Quartz
If Series A is the new bottleneck, well, invest more in product and growth so you don’t slam into the capital wall.
PSA: Most aggregate VC trend data is garbage|Danny Crichton|February 9, 2021|TechCrunch
Clearly this big spend on reducing supply bottlenecks is a longer-term play.
Peloton will pump $100M into delivery logistics to ease supply concerns|Brian Heater|February 5, 2021|TechCrunch
We don’t really know how this bottleneck is affecting which strains of flu are circulating for the same reason.
How COVID-19 Ended Flu Season Before It Started|Maggie Koerth (maggie.koerth-baker@fivethirtyeight.com)|February 4, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

As shoots compete for locations and studio space, cast and crew members, a bottleneck may emerge.
Future of TV Briefing: Hollywood returns to production as stay-at-home orders, advisories lift|Tim Peterson|February 3, 2021|Digiday
It aims to eliminate the biggest bottleneck in a bar—processing payments.
How Much Do You Tip A Robot Bartender?|Kayleigh Kulp|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When U.S. output started to soar more recently, the bottleneck came early.
Pipelines, Not Rail, Ctd.|Justin Green|April 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Also, because Jobs insists on being involved in all products that Apple ships, he ends up becoming a bottleneck.
The Secrets of Succession|Dan Lyons|August 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The rankings then provide a still deeper look—at the most congested bottleneck segment for the worst highway in each area.
America's 75 Worst Commutes|The Daily Beast|January 19, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The seven-year-long bottleneck in Cuba has finally been eased.
Slamming the Door on Gitmo|Andrew Cohen|October 21, 2009|DAILY BEAST
This enables it to do its intended job without acting as a bottleneck in jobs requiring the power of the front end.
On-Line Data-Acquisition Systems in Nuclear Physics, 1969|H. W. Fulbright et al.
We have already reached the point where shipping is no longer the bottleneck in the return of troops from the European theater.
State of the Union Addresses of Harry S. Truman|Harry S. Truman
In an age of electronics, lack of copper had become a serious bottleneck in the production of electrical and scientific equipment.
Danger in Deep Space|Carey Rockwell

British Dictionary definitions for bottleneck

bottleneck

/ (ˈbɒtəlˌnɛk) /

noun

a narrow stretch of road or a junction at which traffic is or may be held up
the hold up

something that holds up progress, esp of a manufacturing process

music

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
the style of guitar playing using a bottleneck

verb

(tr) US to be or cause an obstruction in

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for bottleneck

bottleneck

[ bŏt′l-nĕk′ ]

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.

Cultural definitions for bottleneck

bottleneck

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.

bottleneck

Origin of bottleneck

Words nearby bottleneck

Words related to bottleneck

How to use bottleneck in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bottleneck

Scientific definitions for bottleneck

Cultural definitions for bottleneck