Booting

boot ¹  (bt)

n.

1. Protective footgear, as of leather or rubber, covering the foot and part or all of the leg.

2. A protective covering, especially a sheath to enclose the base of a floor-mounted gear shift lever in a car or truck.

3. Chiefly British An automobile trunk.

4.

a. A kick.

b. Slang An unceremonious dismissal, as from a job. Used with the.

c. Slang A swift, pleasurable feeling; a thrill.

5. A Denver boot.

6. A marine or navy recruit in basic training.

7. Computer Science The process of starting or restarting a computer.

8. boots An instrument of torture, used to crush the foot and leg.

tr.v. boot·ed, boot·ing, boots

1. To put boots on.

2. To kick.

3. Slang To discharge unceremoniously. See Synonyms at dismiss.

4. Computer Science To start (a computer) by loading an operating system from a disk.

5. To disable (a vehicle) by attaching a Denver boot.

6. Baseball To misplay (a ground ball).

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[Middle English bote, from Old French.]

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boot ²  (bt)

intr.v. boot·ed, boot·ing, boots

To be of help or advantage; avail.

n.

1. Chiefly Southern & Midland U.S. See lagniappe.

2. Archaic Advantage; avail.

Idiom:

to boot

In addition; besides: Not only was the new cruise ship the biggest in the world, but the fastest to boot.

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[Middle English boten, to be of help, from Old English btian, from bt, help; see bhad- in Indo-European roots.]