Phrase guide

bottle episode

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɒtəl ˈɛpɪsəʊd/
  • General-American: /ˈbɑtəl ˈɛpəˌsoʊd/
  • General-American: [-ɾəl-]
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An episode of a television series designed to be inexpensive and restricted in its use of sets, effects, cast members, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: broadcasting, media, television

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bottle show

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Said to be from the term “ship-in-a-bottle episode”, the nickname given by the cast and crew of the television series Star Trek (originally broadcast 1966–1969) to an episode set entirely on board the starship USS Enterprise.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: épisode bouteille — episode of a television series designed to be inexpensive
  • Polish: epizod butelkowy — episode of a television series designed to be inexpensive
  • Polish: odcinek butelkowy — episode of a television series designed to be inexpensive
  • Russian: бутылочный эпизод (butyločnyj epizod) — episode of a television series designed to be inexpensive