A bottle is a narrow-necked container made of an impermeable material in various shapes and sizes that stores and transports liquids. Its mouth can be plugged, corked or capped. Bottles are usually made of glass or plastic and are used to hold foodstuffs, medicine and beverages such as water, beer and wine. Bottles may also be used to carry and distribute intoxicating liquor.
The term bottle is derived from Middle English, from Old English botl (“building, house, tower”), from Proto-Germanic *botl
Other materials are also used to make bottles, including pressed wood pulp, recycled paper and cellulose, and polymers such as nylon. The manufacture of these bottles is often labor intensive and expensive, especially for smaller bottles. For these reasons, bottled water is generally much more expensive than tap water, especially when purchased in a disposable container.
Plastic bottles which find their way into lakes, rivers or oceans can cause serious harm to marine life by introducing non-native organisms and clogging natural waterways. Additionally, the influx of these non-native species can disrupt the balance of ecosystems and even endanger humans who come into contact with them. The introduction of more efficient and affordable reusable bottles made from plastic or aluminum can reduce the number of bottle pollutants in our environment, and help to preserve the delicate ecological balance in which we all depend.
In film and television, a bottle episode is an episode that is made cheaper than usual by filming on a single prebuilt (“standing”) set, using only main cast members, or relying heavily on visual effects. These factors allow producers to devote more of their budget to other episodes in a season which might otherwise not be feasible due to their high production costs.
Heel (insweep) – The lowest portion of the body where it begins to curve into the base. Also sometimes referred to as the “resting point” of the base. See the Bottle Bases page for more information on this aspect of a bottle.
