bottle-feed

verb

bot·​tle-feed ˈbä-tᵊl-ˌfēd How to pronounce bottle-feed (audio)
bottle-fed; bottle-feeding
Synonyms of bottle-feednext

transitive verb

: to feed with a bottle
bottle-feed an infant

Examples of bottle-feed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The zoo shared a photo of you bottle-feeding a sloth? — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026 The other puppy, Showgirl, is a chow chow and rottweiler mix who was bottle-fed from two days old. — Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Jan. 2026 When Ellison arrived, twelve years ago, he was put to work bottle-feeding the calves and transitioning them to grain. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 Because the baby cannot breastfeed, caretakers are bottle-feeding the elephant every two hours. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bottle-feed

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bottle-feed was circa 1869

Rhymes for bottle-feed

See All Rhymes for bottle-feed

Browse Nearby Words

bottle episode
bottle-feed
bottle fern
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bottle-feed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle-feed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bottle-feed

verb
bot·​tle-feed
ˈbät-ᵊl-ˌfēd
bottle-fed; bottle-feeding
: to feed (as an infant) with a bottle

Medical Definition

bottle-feed

transitive verb
bot·​tle-feed ˈbät-ᵊl-ˌfēd How to pronounce bottle-feed (audio)
bottle-fed; bottle-feeding
: to feed (an infant) from a bottle rather than by breastfeeding

More from Merriam-Webster on bottle-feed

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bottle-feed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All