Bottleneck

/ˈbɒt(ə)lˌnɛk/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A point of congestion or blockage that reduces the efficiency or speed of a process.

The shipment delays were caused by a bottleneck at the customs office.

A stage in a process at which progress is slowed or halted due to limited capacity.

The factory's production line experienced a bottleneck due to a malfunctioning machine.

In computing, a component or process that limits the speed or efficiency of the entire system.

Upgrading the server eliminated the bottleneck that had been slowing down our website.

verb

To obstruct or reduce the efficiency of a process.

Excessive paperwork can bottleneck the approval process.

The term comes from the shape of a bottle, where a narrow neck slows down the flow of liquid.

bottleneck effect

A situation in which a reduction in population size leads to a loss of genetic diversity.

traffic bottleneck

A point in a road where the flow of traffic slows down.

bottlenecking

The process of obstructing or slowing down a system.

congestion

An excessive accumulation of traffic or people, leading to obstruction.

obstruction

The act of blocking or hindering progress.

restriction

A limitation placed on something, often resulting in reduced efficiency.

Getting stuck in a situation where progress is impeded.

We hit a serious bottleneck on that project after the last meeting.

A frustrating delay that prevents moving forward.

The server being down was a real bottleneck for our work.