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
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 organization provided veterinary visits, foster supplies, and instructions on how to bottle-feed and care for the dogs. Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024 On the show, she is seen transporting and bottle-feeding infants, which is heartbreaking, knowing the intensity of the maternal bonds of primates. Megan Ross, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2024 When reminded that most wouldn’t consider running a small petting zoo, bottle-feeding capuchin monkeys and housing baby wallabies and a host of other animals typical, Haddix laughs. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2024 The nipple flow may be slow for babies who were bottle-fed early. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 16 May 2024 The Legumes have recently graduated from needing to be bottle-fed to eating gruel every five hours or so. The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024 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

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 29 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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