A bottle is a container that can contain liquid. Bottles come in many shapes and sizes, and are used to store beverages such as water, milk, juice, and beer. They can also be used to hold household cleaning products, personal care items, medicine, and other everyday necessities. Bottles can be made of glass, plastic, or other materials and may or may not have a closure on them. Bottles can be shaped to look like animals, people, flowers, or other objects, and are often decorated with drawings or engravings. The word “bottle” is derived from the Latin buttis, and has numerous synonyms including flask, jug, and cask. Bottles are a common household item and are used extensively in commerce, industry, and everyday life.
A specialized type of bottle called an amber bottle is used to store and protect alcoholic beverages, such as whiskey. Amber bottles are designed with a narrow, tapered shape that is more narrow at the top than at the base, which allows the contents to remain protected from light and air. The bottle’s unique design makes it an attractive addition to any home or bar.
When the words “bottle” and “refuse” are in close proximity, it is often an indication of a problem that can be difficult to solve. This is particularly true of bottle refusal, which occurs when a baby refuses to accept a bottle as a substitute for mother’s breast milk. This type of problem can be extremely frustrating for parents and is sometimes referred to as “colic.” Although many different solutions are being tested, such as special feeding devices or the use of formula made from cow’s milk, none have proven to be effective in solving the issue.
Full sized mold – A bottle mold that is fully sized for the particular size and shape of a finished bottle. An inflated gather is placed into the full sized mold, and it expands to conform to the interior surface of the mold, which then forms most – or in some cases all – of the bottle’s body/shoulder/neck/finish. This is a very efficient method of forming the many different kinds of bottles, and is not to be confused with dip molds or pattern molds (which form only part of the bottle).
Dimple – A small molded depression on a bottles neck into which the lever wire of a toggle closure device is hooked. Dimples are found on both old and newer bottles, and are a good indicator of bottle age (click dimple for a picture).
Calabash – A large, gourd-like shaped bottle/flask popular from about 1850 to about 1860. These bottles/flasks are named for their resemblance to the hard shelled fruits of the tropical American Calabash tree (Crescentia cujete) (Wilson 1994).
Applied finish – A separate application of glass over the severed end of a bottle, resulting in a lip that is usually narrower and thinner than the rest of the finish. Applied finishes are discussed in more detail on the Bottle Finishes & Closures page.
