1. A vessel of leather or skin used in certain countries, esp. by water-bearers or water-carriers, to convey water for domestic use.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Zanges, zagues, water bottle, Lagena, vterculus.
1914. Daily News, 9 March, 6. A little tip-tapping burros … with panniers holding water-bottles, came round to the doors [in Valparaiso].
2. A bottle to hold drinking water. a. One placed on the table for use at meals or in a bedroom.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Passion & Princ., vi. The washing-stand [was] soapless, the ewer and water-bottle empty.
1835. Dickens, Sk. Boz, Thoughts about People. If he can get it [the newspaper] while he is at dinner, he eats with much greater zest; balancing it against the water-bottle.
1847. C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, xx. He held out the tiny glass, and I half filled it from the water bottle on the wash-stand.
b. A kind of flask used by soldiers and travellers.
1889. Rider Haggard, Allan’s Wife, vi. By an afterthought, we filled our water-bottles.
1898. Daily News, 8 March, 3/2. [The soldiers] will have to carry nothing but their rifles—not even their water bottles.
3. nonce-use. A bottle filled with water.
1766. Smollett, Trav., xiii. I. 224. He places them [the cut carnations] in water-bottles,… and they will continue fresh and unfaded, the best part of a month.
