bot·tle·neck (bŏt'l-nĕk')
n.

1. 1. A narrow or obstructed section, as of a highway or a pipeline.
   2. A point or an area of traffic congestion.
2. A hindrance to progress or production.
3. The narrow part of a bottle near the top.
4. Music. A style of guitar playing in which an object, such as a piece of glass or metal, is passed across the strings to achieve a gliding sound.

tr.v., -necked, -neck·ing, -necks.
To slow down or impede by creating an obstruction.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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