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boot

/buːt/

The word 'boot' has a significant regional difference: in British English, it refers to the back of a car, whereas American English speakers use the word 'trunk'. When used as a verb meaning to force someone to leave (e.g., "booted from the club"), the tone is informal and can be considered slang. In computing, 'boot' is short for 'bootstrapping'. It can be used both with an object (transitive) or on its own (intransitive).

💬Casual Conversation

🎬Tuesday afternoon in a cubicle farm; Mark is avoiding a spreadsheet.
Mark

my pc is totally frozen. it won't even boot.

Mark
Brian
Brian

did you actually try to restart it or are you just winging it?

💡
Mark uses 'boot' in the technical sense of starting up a computer. Brian responds with 'winging it', an idiom meaning to do something without preparation or proper method, reflecting his irritation with Mark's incompetence.

Meanings

noun

A sturdy type of shoe covering the foot and ankle, or extending up the leg.

"He pulled on his leather boots before heading out into the snow."

noun

The storage compartment at the rear of a car (British English).

"Could you put the groceries in the boot of the car?"

verb (transitive)

To start up a computer system by loading the operating system into memory.

"It takes about thirty seconds for my laptop to boot."

verb (transitive)

To force someone to leave a place or an organization.

"He was booted from the club after the argument."

verb (intransitive)

To start up a computer system.

"The server is booting now; please wait."

Related Words

Last Updated: May 22, 2026Report an Error