English Reference

Word

bootstrap

Phoneticsboot·strap

US/ˈbutˌstɹæp/

UK/bˈuːtstɹæp/

Definition

n. a method for starting a computer or a program without using the operating system. It can also mean a way to build something from nothing using the tools you already have.

n. a small program or set of instructions used to initialize a computer system or load an operating system. In a broader sense, it refers to the process of building or improving something using only the resources already available.

Examples

“The technician used a bootstrap to start the computer when the OS failed.”

“The startup used a bootstrap approach to build their first product, relying on the founder's existing skills and a small amount of personal savings.”

“In statistics, the bootstrap method involves resampling from the original dataset to estimate the variability of a sample statistic, effectively creating a distribution from a single sample.”

Examples

simple

“The technician used a bootstrap to start the computer when the OS failed.”

contextual

“The startup used a bootstrap approach to build their first product, relying on the founder's existing skills and a small amount of personal savings.”

complex

“In statistics, the bootstrap method involves resampling from the original dataset to estimate the variability of a sample statistic, effectively creating a distribution from a single sample.”

Etymology

From boot + strap. The sense "pull up (without aid)" comes from the phrase pull oneself up by one's bootstraps.

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

Idioms

pull oneself up by one's bootstraps — To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only by one's own efforts or abilities.

Domains

ComputingStatistics

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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