lightning in a bottle
That which one seeks in attempting a difficult or challenging featThat which one seeks in attempting a difficult or challenging feat.
» Her invention was like lightning in a bottle.
tieguy · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
4 senses(idiomatic, uncountable)That which one seeks in attempting a difficult or challenging feat.
(idiomatic, uncountable)A very difficult, unlikely or lucky achievement or period of success.
(idiomatic, uncountable)Ephemeral state or atmosphere, as at a startup company or artistic group.
(uncountable)Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lightning, bottle.
Examples
1 sentencesHer invention was like lightning in a bottle.
Origin
Originally (19th century) a literal reference to Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment, captOriginally (19th century) a literal reference to Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment, capturing electricity from lightning and storing it in a Leyden jar, along with variants such as bottled lightning.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Synonyms
1 synonymsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable