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bottleneck

 - 4 dictionary results

bot⋅tle⋅neck

[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)
4. to hamper or confine by or as if by a bottleneck.
–verb (used without object)
5. to become hindered by or as if by a bottleneck.

Origin:
1895–1900; bottle 1 + neck
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bottleneck
bot·tle·neck   (bŏt'l-něk')   
n.  
    1. A narrow or obstructed section, as of a highway or a pipeline.

    2. A point or an area of traffic congestion.

  1. A hindrance to progress or production.

  2. The narrow part of a bottle near the top.

  3. Music A style of guitar playing in which an object, such as a piece of glass or metal, is passed across the strings to achieve a gliding sound.

tr.v.   bot·tle·necked, bot·tle·neck·ing, bot·tle·necks
To slow down or impede by creating an obstruction.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Main Entry:  bottleneck
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  See slide guitar
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2009 Dictionary.com, LLC
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Science Dictionary
bottleneck   (bŏt'l-něk')  Pronunciation Key 
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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