# boot

/ˈbut/ (US) · /bˈuːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boot
Updated: 2026-04-30

## Senses

### 1. footwear

noun · CEFR A1

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

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

- You should wear warm boots if you are going for a walk in the snow.
- The hikers laced up their waterproof leather boots before attempting the steep, muddy ascent toward the mountain ridge.

### 2. car storage

noun · CEFR A2 · British English

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

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

- We managed to fit all three suitcases into the boot of the small car.
- The family struggled to close the boot after packing the camping gear, eventually deciding to leave the bulky chairs behind.

### 3. starting a computer

noun · CEFR B1

the process of starting or restarting a computer.

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

- The computer takes a long time to finish its boot process in the morning.
- A corrupted system file caused the server to fail during the initial boot, requiring a manual override from the IT department.

### 4. a kick

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a hard hit with the foot.

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

- He gave the old machine a boot to try and make it work again.
- The striker gave the ball a powerful boot, sending it flying past the goalkeeper into the top corner of the net.

### 5. to start a computer

verb · CEFR B1

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

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

- Wait a moment while I boot up my laptop so I can show you the photos.
- The technician instructed the staff to boot the workstations simultaneously to test the network's peak load capacity.

### 6. to kick

verb · CEFR B1

to hit something hard with your foot.

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

- The player booted the ball down the field to clear it from the goal.
- Frustrated by the delay, the passenger booted his suitcase across the terminal floor, drawing stares from the security guards.

### 7. to fire someone

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to force someone to leave a job or a place.

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

- He was booted from the team after he missed three practices in a row.
- The board of directors decided to boot the CEO after the company's stock price plummeted for the fourth consecutive quarter.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.