bottle

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
bottle/ˈbɒtl/

▶noun

• 1 a container with a narrow neck, used for storing liquids.

  ■ (the bottle) informal used in reference to the heavy drinking of alcohol: he took to the bottle.

  ■ a baby's feeding bottle.

  ■ a large metal cylinder holding liquefied gas.

• 2 Brit. informal one's courage or confidence.

▶verb

• 1 place in bottles for storage.

• 2 (bottle something up) repress or conceal feelings.

• 3 (bottle out) Brit. informal lose one's nerve and decide not to do something.

• 4 informal hit with a bottle.

– origin ME: from OFr. boteille, from med. L. butticula, dimin. of late L. buttis (see butt4).