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

/ 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.

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

“Pennsylvania and Wisconsin don’t allow the processing of absentee ballots before election day. Wisconsin moves faster because it’s smaller, but the bottleneck is Milwaukee.”

From Los Angeles Times

Satellite pictures show a huge bottleneck of people on Salah al-Din Street, after Israel ordered the effective depopulation of northern Gaza.

From BBC

A major bottleneck is limitations by hospitals on the number of student nurses they will accept for on-the-job training, she said.

From Los Angeles Times

So far, top executives at both ports say the increased volume hasn’t caused bottlenecks, although wait times to move off-loaded goods by rail have gone up slightly.

From Los Angeles Times

But financial help to some families - along with the reconstruction effort - has been delayed by bureaucratic bottlenecks, and allegations of financial mismanagement.

From BBC

Related Words

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