noun
bottleneck
noun
1
A point where a process, road, or system narrows and slows everything passing through it.
"The single checkout lane became a bottleneck during the lunch rush."
"Lack of funding was the main bottleneck holding back the project."
How to Use Bottleneck
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA point in a process, road, or system that slows everything else down because it is narrower or slower than the rest.
Common pairings
traffic bottleneck
production bottleneck
a bottleneck in the process
Word Forms
bottlenecked past tense, bottlenecks plural, bottlenecks singular
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The single checkout lane became a _____ during the lunch rush.
Etymology
From the literal narrow neck of a bottle, extended to mean any point that restricts flow.