A bottle is a container, usually made of glass or plastic, with a narrow neck and an opening at the top. Bottles hold liquids like water, juice, milk, or medicine. The narrow neck makes bottles easy to pour from and helps keep what's inside from spilling.

People have used bottles for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians made bottles from clay, while Romans perfected glass bottles that could show the color of wine inside. Today, plastic water bottles are everywhere, though their convenience creates environmental problems because they can take hundreds of years to break down.

The word also means putting something into a bottle: a winery bottles its wine, or a parent might bottle fresh lemonade. When someone bottles up their feelings, they keep emotions trapped inside instead of expressing them, like sealing anger or sadness in an invisible container. This usually makes those feelings stronger over time, like shaking a soda bottle until the pressure builds.

You might hear someone talk about having the bottle to do something difficult. This British slang means having the courage or nerve to try something challenging or scary.