A bottle is a narrow-necked, impermeable container in various shapes and sizes that holds liquids or semiliquids and may be sealed with an internal stopper, an external bottle cap, or another closure. It can be made from a variety of materials including glass, plastic, and metals.
A glass bottle is a common feature in the homes of people around the world, especially in countries with a long history of glassmaking and glassmaking technology. The earliest known examples of glassmaking are found in Egypt and Mesopotamia, where the process was developed to produce decorative vessels. Glassmaking has since become one of the most common industrial production methods, and today there are nearly limitless applications for this versatile material.
The term bottle is also used to refer to a person who lacks the courage or determination to go through with something. The word comes from the expression to “bottle it up,” which means to suppress or smother an emotion, thought, or idea. People who bottle up their feelings may have difficulty expressing them, which can cause tension in the home.
When a person bottle-up emotions, it can have dangerous consequences for their health and well-being. For example, people who bottle up anger or sadness may be at a greater risk for developing heart disease. Those who bottle up fear or anxiety may be at a greater risk for depression and other mental illnesses.
In terms of the environment, the ubiquitous plastic beverage bottle is an environmental zero: it’s a nonrenewable resource that holds a low-value product, it’s only used once, and it often ends up as litter polluting land and oceans. Chemical and materials companies, however, are working on ways to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic resins from renewable ingredients instead of petroleum.
While most hard substances have ordered microscopic structures, the interior of a glass bottle looks more like a liquid than a solid, and this lack of order allows light to pass through it easily. Moreover, while the boundaries of true solids scatter light, the edges of a bottle’s walls absorb it and transmit it, which makes them highly reflective.
This is why bottles are so popular with showrunners and writers: it’s a great way to tell a story while still keeping the budget low. In fact, many of the most famous bottle episodes from shows such as Breaking Bad and Community were created in part because of budgetary restraints. Using a limited number of locations and resources can help a script stand out in a competitive writing fellowship application or spec screenplay, and trapping characters in a single location is a surefire way to create tension. For these reasons, bottle episodes are some of the most common and iconic television stories. The following list includes some of the most memorable examples.