bottleneck

English

noun
Definitions
  • The narrow portion that forms the pouring spout of a bottle; the neck of a bottle.
  • (figurative) In traffic, any narrowing of the road, especially resulting in a delay.
  • (by extension) The part of a process that is too slow or cumbersome.

Etymology

Compound from English bottle + English neck (drink very quickly).

Origin

English

neck

Gloss

drink very quickly

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms