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

Vocational schools, boot camps and community organizations can be ideal resources for developing and nurturing a skills-ready workforce. —Michelle Sims, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

But after the rest of the lineup was set, the entire cast underwent a three-week hockey boot camp. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026

So the Jays ran the righty through a big-league boot camp. —Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 22 May 2026

Beach boot camp takes place in the sand, and pickleball courts were recently added alongside tennis courts. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for boot camp

• decamp
• encamp
• headlamp
• preamp
• revamp
• timestamp
• amp
• champ
• clamp
• cramp
• damp
• gamp

Kids Definition

boot camp

noun

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