English Reference
Idiom idiom

boot camp


Any short, often intensive course of training.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

She joined a two-week coding boot camp to learn fast.

CONTEXTUAL

Before the new restaurant opened, all the staff went through a boot camp on customer service.

COMPLEX

The aspiring journalists endured a gruelling boot camp of deadlines and edits, emerging with sharper skills and thicker skin.


From boot in the US military slang sense of “new recruit” + camp.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bet one's boots

    To be absolutely sure of something; to be certain enough to wager an essential possession.

  2. 02

    camp as a row of tents

    Very camp, highly campy.

  3. 03

    camp out

    To wait or queue for something expected to occur, often overnight.

  4. 04

    camp out on

    To exert or maintain control over a website, domain name, wiki page, etc.

  5. 05

    daisies

    [Cockney slang]boots

  6. 06

    fill one's boots

    To perform at a high level in one's official role.

  7. 07

    get the boot

    To be dismissed from employment.

  8. 08

    give someone the boot

    To fire, sack, or eject someone.

Last updated August 10, 2026