boot camp

noun

1
: a navy or marine corps camp for basic training
2
: a disciplinary facility or program in which young offenders are forced to participate in a rigidly structured routine
3
: a place or undertaking that resembles a military boot camp especially by requiring one to endure intensive training or initiation
Nowadays, the more talented players view their college years as necessary boot camp to prepare them for the riches waiting for them in pro football.Anson Mount
These youngsters are put through what amounts to a boot camp of courses in music notation, basic harmony and ear-training.Smithsonian

Examples of boot camp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Former Kansas basketball forward Mitch Lightfoot, who participated in a record-setting six of coach Bill Self’s preseason boot camp conditioning programs, has offered a bit of advice to the many newcomers on the 2025-26 team. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2025 One day while driving through downtown Detroit, Wheeler saw a sign for a 12-week coding boot camp. Andy Tonsing, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Army recruitment crisis spawns 'future soldier' course In 2022, as years of shortfall in recruiting numbers compounded into a crisis, the Army test-launched the Future Soldier prep course, a boot camp-style program to quickly pull up recruits who don't meet academic or physical standards. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025 At the same time, Telefilm is directing funding into training and boot camps for indigenous filmmakers to future-proof their careers. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for boot camp

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of boot camp was in 1916

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Cite this Entry

“Boot camp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boot%20camp. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

boot camp

noun
: a camp where recently enlisted members of the Navy or Marine Corps receive their basic training

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