bottleneck
BOT-ul-nek
/ˈbɒtlnek/
A point of congestion or blockage, particularly in a process or a road.
Focuses on the cause of the delay—a narrow point that cannot handle the volume of flow.
The story behind the word. A literal description of the narrow neck of a glass bottle, which limits how fast liquid can be poured out. It began being used metaphorically for traffic and business in the early 20th century.
Word relationships
- obstruction: An obstruction is something in the way; a bottleneck is a narrowing of the path itself.
- conduit: A conduit is a channel that allows for easy and rapid flow.
Commonly confused with
- gridlock: A bottleneck causes a slowdown; gridlock is a total stop.
Word family
- bottlenecked (verb): to have been slowed down by a narrow point
Collocations
- production bottleneck
- create a bottleneck
- eliminate bottlenecks
Example sentences
- "The packaging department has become a bottleneck in our production line." Manufacturing
- "The narrow bridge created a bottleneck that delayed traffic for miles." Logistics
Memory hook
Think of trying to pour sand out of a bottle; the 'neck' is the part that slows it down. The narrow top of a soda bottle.
When not to use
Do not use if the whole system is stopped; use it to describe the specific part that is slow.
Fun facts
- In biology, a 'population bottleneck' is an event that drastically reduces the size of a population, limiting genetic diversity.
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