noun

boot

noun

A sturdy shoe that covers the foot and part of the leg.

"She pulled on her hiking boots before setting off."

The luggage storage compartment of a car (British English); called a "trunk" in American English.

"He loaded the shopping bags into the boot."

A device clamped to a car's wheel to immobilize it, usually for unpaid fines (also called a wheel clamp).

"She came out to find a boot on her front tyre."

verb

To kick something or someone.

"He booted the ball clear across the pitch."

To dismiss or eject someone.

"He was booted from the meeting after the argument."

To start up a computer or device.

"It takes a minute for the laptop to boot after a full shutdown."

How to Use Boot

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA sturdy shoe, the storage compartment of a car (UK), or, as a verb, to kick someone out or to start up a computer.

UK vs US

British English uses "boot" for a car's rear storage space; American English calls it the "trunk."

Easily confused with

trunk →

Common pairings

boot up boot someone out the boot of the car wheel boot

Word Forms

booted past tense, booted past tense, booted past tense, boots plural, boots plural, boots plural, boots plural, boots singular, boots singular, boots singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “boot” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She pulled on her hiking _____ before setting off.

Etymology

From Old French bote, "a high, thick shoe," of uncertain earlier origin. The computing sense of "boot" comes from "bootstrap" — the idea of a system pulling itself up "by its own bootstraps" to start running.

Synonyms

View more →

buskin mukluk

Rhymes for boot

oot foot root moot loot coot hoot toot soot doot zoot shoot

See all rhymes for boot →

People Also Searched

buskin mukluk