bottleneck
BOT-ul-nek
/ˈbɒtəlnɛk/
A point of congestion in a system that stops or slows down the entire process.
It implies that the capacity of the entire system is limited by this one specific point.
The story behind the word. A literal metaphor. No matter how wide the body of a bottle is, the liquid can only pour out as fast as the narrow neck allows.
Word relationships
- choke point: A choke point is often a geographical or strategic narrowing; a bottleneck is a functional narrowing in a process.
- catalyst: Something that speeds up a process rather than slowing it down.
Commonly confused with
- deadlock: A deadlock is a total stop where two things block each other; a bottleneck is just a slowing down of flow.
Collocations
- production bottleneck
- bottleneck effect
- eliminate the bottleneck
Example sentences
- "The packaging machine is the bottleneck in our production line; we can't make products faster than it can box them." Manufacturing
- "In any system, there is always one bottleneck that limits the total throughput." Management Theory
Memory hook
Picture a wide bottle of soda being poured out—the narrow neck is what controls the speed. The narrow part that slows everything.
When not to use
Don't use it for a general delay; use it when one specific stage is slower than all the others.
Fun facts
- In biology, a 'population bottleneck' occurs when a species' numbers are drastically reduced, limiting genetic diversity.
Related words
Explore more words
congestion, gridlock, chokepoint, stagnation, impede, logjam
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