boot

noun (1)

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\ ˈbüt

Definition of boot

(Entry 1 of 5)

1 archaic : deliverance

2 : something to equalize a trade

3 obsolete : avail

to boot

: besides

boot

verb (1)

booted; booting; boots

Definition of boot (Entry 2 of 5)

archaic

: avail, profit

boot

noun (2)

plural boots

Definition of boot (Entry 3 of 5)

1 : a fitted covering (as of leather or rubber) for the foot that usually reaches above the ankle

2 : an instrument of torture used to crush the leg and foot

3 : something that resembles or is likened to a boot especially : an enclosing or protective casing or sheath (as for a rifle or over an electrical or mechanical connection)

4 : a navy or marine corps recruit undergoing basic training

5 British : an automobile trunk

6a : a kick with the foot

b : summary dismissal —used with the gave him the boot

c : momentary pleasure or enjoyment : bang got a big boot out of the joke

7 : a sheath enclosing the inflorescence

8 : denver boot

9 : the act of booting or rebooting a computer or the process by which a computer is booted — see boot entry 4 sense 5b A cold boot is starting up a computer whose power has been turned off. A warm boot involves restarting the system while it is running …— J. D. Biersdorfer —often used before another noun a boot disk

boot

verb (2)

booted; booting; boots

Definition of boot (Entry 4 of 5)

transitive verb

1 : to put boots on

2a : kick

b : to eject or discharge summarily —often used with out was booted out of office

3 : to make an error on (a grounder in baseball) broadly : botch

4 : to ride (a horse) in a race booted home three winners

5 [bootstrap entry 2]

a : to load (a program) into a computer from a disk

b : to start or ready for use especially by booting a program boot a computer —often used with up

intransitive verb

1 : to become loaded into a computer's memory from a disk the program boots automatically

2 : to become ready for use especially by booting a program the computer boots quickly —often used with up

boot

noun (3)

Definition of boot (Entry 5 of 5)

archaic

: booty, plunder

Other Words from boot Synonyms Learn More About boot

First Known Use of boot

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

1598, in the meaning defined above

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Dictionary Entries Near boot

boosy

boot

bootblack

Statistics for boot

Cite this Entry

“Boot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boot. Accessed 26 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for boot

boot

noun

\ ˈbüt

Kids Definition of boot

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a covering usually of leather or rubber for the foot and part of the leg

boot

verb

booted; booting

Kids Definition of boot (Entry 2 of 2)

: kick entry 1 sense 1

boot

noun

Legal Definition of boot

: additional money or property received to make up the difference in an exchange of business or investment property that is of like kind but unequal in value

Note: Under Internal Revenue Code section 1031, no tax liability results from an exchange solely of like-kind property used in a business or trade or held for investment. If the exchange includes boot, however, under section 1245 the boot will be treated as ordinary income.