: belonging to oneself or itself
used to express immediate or direct kinship
: to have or hold as property : possess
: to have power or mastery over
: to acknowledge to be true, valid, or as claimed : admit
: one or ones belonging to oneself
: a looped strap sewed at the side or the rear top of a boot to help in pulling it on
: unaided efforts
: designed to function independently of outside direction : capable of using one internal function or process to control another
: carried out with minimum resources or advantages
: to promote or develop by initiative and effort with little or no assistance
What made you want to look up by one's own bootstraps? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
