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

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.

From 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.

From The Wall Street Journal

Logistical bottlenecks mean large quantities of Ukrainian grains, which are cheaper than those produced in the EU, have ended up in central European states, hitting prices and sales of local farmers.

From Reuters

So when many parts of the company are moving, you can create bottlenecks, and you can slow down.

From New York Times

Permitting fights and transmission bottlenecks could derail clean energy projects.

From Scientific American

Related Words

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