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.
Plan to nurse or bottle-feed during take-off and landing to ease ear pain from the change in cabin pressure, and, if accessible, book the bassinet in advance. Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2025 The humane society raised money, bottle-fed the puppies and got them proper veterinary care. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025 The result of both inadequate support for new mothers and poor medical advice was that more and more mothers bottle-fed their babies cow’s milk. Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025 Asked to comment on the X post, Colossal replied with a quote attributed to chief animal officer James, who bottle-fed the dire wolves as babies. Andrea Marks, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025 The pups fed from the surrogate for just a few days, after which the Colossal team removed them and bottle-fed them because the surrogate was actually becoming too attentive—disrupting the pups’ regular sleeping and feeding schedules. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025 Parents that bottle-feed will want to select bottles, formula, heating and cleaning equipment. Nora Colomer, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025 Helen Woodward Animal Center's foster department quickly jumped into action, organizing bottle-feeding foster homes and setting up medical appointments to ensure the puppies received the best possible care. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025 Parents that bottle-feed will want to select bottles, formula, heating and cleaning equipment. Nora Colomer, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1869, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bottle-feed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle-feed. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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

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