Meaning of bootstrap in English | Powered by Free Dictionary API

noun

• A loop (leather or other material) sewn at the side or top rear of a boot to help in pulling the boot on.

• A means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something without aid.

  Example: He used his business experience as a bootstrap to win voters.

• The process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory

• The process necessary to compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program.

• Any method or instance of estimating properties of an estimator (such as its variance) by measuring those properties when sampling from an approximating distribution.

verb

• To help (oneself) without the aid of others.

  Example: Sam spent years bootstrapping himself through college.

• To load the operating system into the memory of a computer. Usually shortened to boot.

• To compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program.

  Example: Bootstrapping means building the GNU C Library, GNU Compiler Collection and several other key system programs.http//www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=6

• To employ a bootstrap method.

• To expand or advance an activity or a collection based solely on previous actions, work, findings, etc.