'bottle-feeding' originates from the combination of 'bottle' and 'feeding', where 'bottle' refers to a container with a narrow neck used for storing liquids, and 'feeding' refers to the act of giving food.

'bottle' changed from the Old French word 'boteille' and eventually became the modern English word 'bottle'. 'Feeding' comes from the Old English 'fēdan', meaning 'to nourish'.

Initially, it meant 'feeding with a bottle', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.