bottle

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C] a glass or plastic container, usually round with straight sides and a narrow neck, used especially for storing liquids: a wine / beer / milk bottle * Put the top back on the bottle. 2 [C] (also bottleful ) the amount contained in a bottle: We drank a whole bottle of wine. 3 (the bottle) [sing.] (informal) alcoholic drink: After his wife died, he really hit the bottle (= started drinking heavily). 4 [C,usually sing.] a bottle used to give milk to a baby; the milk from such a bottle (used instead of mother's milk): It's time for her bottle. 5 [U] (BrE, informal) courage or confidence, for example to do sth that is dangerous or unpleasant: It took a lot of bottle to do that. * I didn't think she'd have the bottle to ask him. verb [VN] 1 to put a liquid into a bottle: The wines are bottled after three years. 2 to put fruit or vegetables into glass containers in order to preserve them: Keep your empty jam jars for bottling next year's fruit. bottled adjective: bottled beer / water / pickles * bottled gas (= sold in metal containers for use in heating and cooking) IDIOMS bottle it (BrE, informal) to not do sth, or not finish sth, because you are frightened PHRASALVERBS bottle out (of sth / doing sth) (BrE, informal) to not do sth that you had intended to do because you are too frightened bottle sth<->up to not allow other people to see that you are unhappy, angry, etc., especially when this happens over a long period of time: Try not to bottle up your emotions.