a vessel proper to contain liquors, made of leather, glass, or stone. There are bottles of boited leather, which are made and sold by the case-makers. Those among the ancient Hebrews were generally made of goat skin, with the hair on the inside, well pitched and sewed together; the mouth of the bottle was through the animal's paw that furnished the matter of it.

There are now in use bottles of fine glass which are commonly covered with ozier, and others of thick glass which are not covered. Formerly all those bottles made in France held exactly a pint Paris measure (or about a quart of our English wine measure); but since the tavern-keepers sell most of their wine in such bottles, notwithstanding an ordinance to the contrary, that one would think the glasmakers had entered into an agreement with them not to make any bottles that hold the full measure, there are none but what hold less, and some considerably so. See Glass-making.

In commerce, bottles of earth or stone pay 11½d. each dozen, on importation; whereof 10½d. is repaid on exporting them. Glass bottles covered with wicker, pay 6s. 7½d. the dozen; whereof 6s. 2½d. is repaid on exporting them. Glass bottles covered with leather, pay 1l. 9s. 11½d. the dozen; whereof 1l. 7s. 10½d. is repaid on exporting them. Glass bottles uncovered, pay 1s. 5½d. the dozen; 1s. 4½d. being repaid on exporting them. Bottles made of flint-glass, pay 8d. for each pound weight; and those made of green glass, only 2d. for each pound weight. Bottles made of wood, called sucking-bottles, pay by the gross, or twelve dozens, 1s. 11½d.; whereof 1s. 8½d. is repaid on exporting them.