Bottle is a broad term that encompasses not only the glass containers and tableware we use for drinking, but also a wide range of hollow ware such as lamp globes and chimneys, light bulbs, and even radio and television tubes. This glossary covers some of the specialized terminology used throughout this website for describing the physical characteristics of bottles (see the General Bottle Morphology page). Some terms are collector based, others are technical glassmaking jargon, and still others are a combination of both. This is not intended to be a comprehensive dictionary of bottle terminology, but rather a reference tool for anyone interested in the history of glassmaking and the specific physical characteristics of vintage bottles.
Bottle nipple – The vertical “shoulder” on the lower body of a bottle that is used to guide a baby or small child’s mouth when they are using the bottle. The nipple should be placed vertically against the infant’s lips, angled UP to the roof of the mouth, and then gently sucked. It should never be forced down into the mouth and should be removed quickly when the baby is done suckling.
Full sized mold – A form that is designed for a particular bottle shape and size. When a gathered gob of molten glass is placed into the full sized mold and then blown, the expanded gather conforms to the inside surface of the mold. A full sized mold can be used to form the base, body, shoulder, and most or all of a bottle’s neck/finish. It is a variation on the hinge mold that was used in machine-made bottles.
Glassmaker – A person who shapes glass for commercial or home use. Glassmakers can be found in the fields of art, craft, and science as well as for industrial production.
Marver – A metal or wood table lubricated with either wax or oil for forming the gobs or “gathers” of molten glass to form the desired shape. A marver was used much like a workbench for the gaffer and other glassworkers, allowing them to roll the hot gatherings with their hands or the aid of a tool called a jack to mold them into bottles and other glassware.
Parison mold – A separate mold on the Owens bottle machines to measure the volume of glass being sucked into the blow mold. This measuring function allowed for a more precise shaping of the bottle tops, necks, and bases. See the Bottle Molds & Bases page for more information.
Mouth-blown bottle – A bottle that was not blown by a machine and instead was shaped using air pressure applied through the mouth into a glass pot. These types of bottles are less expensive to make and often more artistically attractive than their machine-made counterparts.
Note that the term “mouth-blown” is often used as a synonym for hand-made bottle and this is not always the case. Many mouth-blown bottles have a number of diagnostic features that distinguish them from machine-made bottles including side mold seams through the finish and usually up to the rim, ghost or separate mold seams below and on the neck/finish, and sometimes a suction or glass cutoff scar on the base.
