English noun: bottleneck | |||
| 1. | bottleneck (shape) a narrowing that reduces the flow through a channel | ||
| Synonyms | chokepoint, constriction | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | narrowing | ||
| 2. | bottleneck (artifact) the narrow part of a bottle near the top | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | part, portion | ||
English verb: bottleneck | |||
| 1. | bottleneck (social) slow down or impede by creating an obstruction | ||
| Samples | His laziness has bottlenecked our efforts to reform the system. | ||
| Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | block, blockade, embarrass, hinder, obstruct, stymie, stymy | ||
| 2. | bottleneck (change) become narrow, like a bottleneck | ||
| Samples | Right by the bridge, the road bottlenecks. | ||
| Pattern of use | Something ----s | ||
| Broader (hypernym) | contract, narrow | ||