bootstrap
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something without aid.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bootstrapSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbutstɹæp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
figuratively
A means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something without aid.
A strap that is looped and sewn to the top of a boot for pulling it on
computing
The process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory.
verb
computing
To load the operating system into the memory of a computer. Usually shortened to boot.
To help (oneself) without the aid of others.
by extension
To build or put together (something) by first building or putting together the tools, building blocks, ideas, etc., necessary to build (the thing).
To expand or advance an activity or a collection based solely on previous actions, work, findings, etc.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To help (oneself) without the aid of others.
Used this way, bootstrap is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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What Does It Mean Here?
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.