bottle-feed

verb

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

transitive verb

: to feed with a bottle
bottle-feed an infant

Examples of bottle-feed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While bottle-feeding a lamb, Everett watched sheep wander the green hills of the pasture, and thought of the crowds in Miami. Maya Binyam, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The infant manatees had to be bottle-fed every four hours. Jason Gulley Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The convenience of running a regular steam cycle for bottles, pump parts and associated accessories, gives bottle-feeding families one less thing to think about during those early weeks and months. Samson McDougall, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 The toddler was mostly bottle-fed and was not potty-trained, Vang told a detective, according to the complaint. Paradise Afshar, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 To help Jameela grow, zoo keepers have been bottle-feeding the baby gorilla every two to three hours. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 On Wednesday, the Oscar-winning actress, 56, shared adorable snaps of herself bottle-feeding a baby lamb on what appears to be her home farm in Australia. Marisa Sullivan, Peoplemag, 28 Dec. 2023 Sitting at one of the two desks in Alberto’s corner office, bottle-feeding her four-month-old child, was Maria Elena Soria Morales, a thirty-three-year-old school teacher who is currently serving a two-year term as the head of security, elected alongside another woman. Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023 Photos and videos from the wildlife center show the otter being held in a towel, bottle-fed by employees, and kept warm with a hair dryer. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bottle-feed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1869, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near bottle-feed

Cite this Entry

“Bottle-feed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle-feed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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