What does "boot" mean?

1. (footwear) a strong shoe that covers your foot and part of your leg. 2. (car storage) the space at the back of a car where you put bags and luggage. 3. (starting a computer) the process of starting or restarting a computer. 4. (a kick) a hard hit with the foot. 5. (to start a computer) to turn on a computer and wait for it to be ready to use. 6. (to kick) to hit something hard with your foot. 7. (to fire someone) to force someone to leave a job or a place.

Is it correct to say "I put the groceries in the car's trunk while in London."?

No — say "I put the groceries in the car's boot while in London.". In British English, use 'boot'; 'trunk' is the American equivalent.

boot

US //ˈbut// UK //bˈuːt// boot

1 footwear (n.)
A1 Beginner

a strong shoe that covers your foot and part of your leg.

a sturdy item of footwear extending above the ankle, designed for protection or support.

Example

You should wear warm boots if you are going for a walk in the snow.

Example

The hikers laced up their waterproof leather boots before attempting the steep, muddy ascent toward the mountain ridge.
- footwear
- wellie
2 car storage (n.)
A2 Elementary British English

the space at the back of a car where you put bags and luggage.

the enclosed luggage compartment of a motor vehicle, typically located at the rear.

Example

We managed to fit all three suitcases into the boot of the small car.

Example

The family struggled to close the boot after packing the camping gear, eventually deciding to leave the bulky chairs behind.
- trunk
Pitfall

I put the groceries in the car's trunk while in London.

I put the groceries in the car's boot while in London.

In British English, use 'boot'; 'trunk' is the American equivalent.

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3 starting a computer (n.)
B1 Intermediate Computing

the process of starting or restarting a computer.

the sequence of operations that initializes an operating system when a computer is powered on.

Example

The computer takes a long time to finish its boot process in the morning.

Example

A corrupted system file caused the server to fail during the initial boot, requiring a manual override from the IT department.
- startup
- reboot
- shutdown
4 a kick (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

a hard hit with the foot.

a forceful blow delivered with the foot, often used figuratively for a dismissal.

Example

He gave the old machine a boot to try and make it work again.

Example

The striker gave the ball a powerful boot, sending it flying past the goalkeeper into the top corner of the net.
- kick
- blow
5 to start a computer (v.)
B1 Intermediate Computing

to turn on a computer and wait for it to be ready to use.

to load an operating system into a computer's main memory; often used with 'up'.

Example

Wait a moment while I boot up my laptop so I can show you the photos.

Example

The technician instructed the staff to boot the workstations simultaneously to test the network's peak load capacity.
- start up
- initialize
6 to kick (v.)
B1 Intermediate Sport

to hit something hard with your foot.

to strike something with the foot; in sports, to kick a ball with great force.

Example

The player booted the ball down the field to clear it from the goal.

Example

Frustrated by the delay, the passenger booted his suitcase across the terminal floor, drawing stares from the security guards.
- kick
- punt
7 to fire someone (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

to force someone to leave a job or a place.

to dismiss someone from employment or to eject them from a group or location.

Example

He was booted from the team after he missed three practices in a row.

Example

The board of directors decided to boot the CEO after the company's stock price plummeted for the fourth consecutive quarter.
- hire
- recruit

Origin

* As an English surname, from the noun boot. * As a Dutch and German surname, from Bote (“messenger”), compare Bode. Also an occupational surname for a boatman, from boot.

Idioms5 entries