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 Andrus decided to join the Navy after the Attack on Pearl Harbor and completed his boot camp training here in San Diego at the Naval Training Center in 1942. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2023 How coding boot camps incorporate AI also may provide a window into how the technology might eventually change K-12 education. Michelle Cheng, Quartz, 8 May 2023 For more information, consider joining the trademark basics boot camp that the US Patent and Trademark Office hosts quarterly. Mecca Pryor, Essence, 15 Sep. 2023 The program — akin to a math heavy summer boot camp — was developed by Jo Boaler, a Stanford mathematics education professor who has been one of the strongest voices nationally pushing for a rethinking of how math is taught in primary and secondary school. oregonlive, 6 Aug. 2023 The future of programming and the question of value in boot camps for entry-level programming is the topic for CWRU’s Harold Connamacher, associate chair of the computer and data sciences department, and Robert Herbold, professor of transformative teaching. Joan Rusek, cleveland, 18 Aug. 2023 The women were discussing AI’s impact on democracy, the final panel in a three-day boot camp on the technology. Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2023 The boot camp was intended to equip participants to organize more effectively in their home states, Russell said. Maliya Ellis, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023 Seligman choreographed the fights along with her director of photography, Maria Rusche, and the cast was put through a fight-club boot camp led by stunt coordinator Devin Stovall. Kerensa Cadenas, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boot camp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near boot camp

Cite this Entry

“Boot camp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boot%20camp. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

boot camp

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

More from Merriam-Webster on boot camp

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