bottleneck
UK[ˈbɒtlnek]US[ˈbɑːtlnek]
n
a narrow section of a road or path that causes traffic to slow down or become congested.
n
a stage in a process that causes delay because it is too slow or has limited capacity.
v
to slow down or restrict progress by creating a point of congestion or limited capacity.
Morpheme Breakdown
bottle
neck
bottle
neck
Etymology
the word 'bottleneck' is a compound noun formed from two old english words. it originally referred literally to the narrow neck of a bottle, which restricts the flow of its contents. by the late 19th century, this vivid physical metaphor was applied to any point of constriction in a system, such as a narrow stretch of road that impedes traffic flow. in the 20th century, its usage expanded into business and computing contexts to describe the part of a process with the lowest capacity, which limits the overall rate of production or progress. the term perfectly encapsulates how a literal, tangible feature evolved into a versatile abstract concept for systemic constraints.
Analysis
Structure: bottle + neck
bottle (from old english 'bottel', meaning a container, typically for liquids) + neck (from old english 'hnecca', meaning the part of the body connecting the head to the shoulders, or any narrow connecting part).
Examples
the construction work created a major bottleneck on the highway during rush hour.
the slow approval process is a bottleneck in our new product development.
outdated software can bottleneck the entire network's performance.