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Glite Dictionary
bottle cork

bottle cork

1.5
A small plug that closes the top of a bottle, often for wine
  • noun
  • /ˈbɑtəl kɔrk/
translation icon : corcho de botella
  • He removed the bottle cork before pouring the wine into the glasses.

Examples

  • The bottle cork flew across the room when he opened the sparkling wine.

  • Make sure to replace the bottle cork tightly after each use to keep the contents fresh.

  • [bottle cork pops] -

    The Good Liar (2019)

Synonyms

plug
vsbottle cork
50 1.5

An object that fits tightly into a hole to stop liquid or gas

is a stopper used specifically to seal the mouth of a bottle
cork
vsbottle cork
40 1.8

A stopper made from tree bark used to close a bottle, especially wine

allows the stopper to be made from various materials not only oak bark

Surface Forms

bottle cork singular
bottle corks plural

Morphology

bottle + cork

The meaning is directly compositional: combining 'bottle' (a container) with 'cork' (a stopper) yields the stopper used for a bottle. This is a straightforward noun–noun compound following common English and cross‑linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Bottle cork comes from the old practice of using pieces of cork, the soft bark from a tree, pushed into the neck of a bottle to stop the liquid from leaking. That's why bottle cork means the plug used to close a bottle and keep the drink fresh.