bootstrap
noun
boot·strap
| \ ˈbüt-ˌstrap
\
\
Definition of bootstrap
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: a looped strap sewed at the side or the rear top of a boot to help in pulling it on
2
bootstraps plural
: unaided efforts
—often used in the phrase by one's own bootstraps
bootstrap
adjectiveDefinition of bootstrap (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: designed to function independently of outside direction : capable of using one internal function or process to control another
a bootstrap operation to load a computer
2
: carried out with minimum resources or advantages
bootstrap efforts
bootstrap
verb
bootstrapped;
bootstrapping
Definition of bootstrap (Entry 3 of 3)
: to promote or develop by initiative and effort with little or no assistance
bootstrapped herself to the top … turns out to be pretty talented at identifying and bootstrapping promising creative endeavors.— Harry McCracken
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Examples of bootstrap in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Last March, researchers found that another RubyGems library called bootstrap-sass was also backdoored. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "The year-long rash of supply chain attacks against open source is getting worse," 21 Aug. 2019 The statue calls out to families who want to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: Why is aid needed to back Lady Liberty’s ideals now?," 19 Aug. 2019 Here in bootstraps America, happiness is a state many moms find difficult to achieve. — Olivia Campbell, Good Housekeeping, "I've Struggled With Depression, So I Can't Always Be The "Happy" Mom," 8 July 2019 Yet even in Spider-Verse — a genuinely wonderful and magical movie — Miles’s presence in a magnet school is an easy shorthand for a talented kid from a working-class background pulling himself up by his bootstraps. — Emily Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "Spider-Man: Far From Home turns a class-conscious hero into a tech bro," 3 July 2019 But their new bootstrap trick opened up a gold mine. — Quanta Magazine, "Physicists Uncover Geometric ‘Theory Space’," 23 Feb. 2017 Can’t pull yourself up by the bootstraps when centuries-old systems are designed to keep you from the damn boot. — Thomas Page Mcbee, Teen Vogue, "Kendrick Sampson on Masculinity, Race, and Why Men Should Be More Vulnerable," 26 Mar. 2019 Tyler Perry, himself somebody who made his own way, pulled himself up by the bootstraps, has offered Geoffrey a job. — Fox News, "Kellyanne Conway reacts to anonymous 'resistance' NYT op-ed," 5 Sep. 2018 Even so, this remains a scrappy, bootstraps racing league. — Mitchell Nicholson, Popular Mechanics, "The Great American Motorcycle Racing Revival," 7 Sep. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Giving poor people small loans without collateral, albeit at higher interest rates than on conventional loans, was meant to spur entrepreneurship and allow people to bootstrap their way out of poverty. — The Economist, "Microfinance is driving many Sri Lankan borrowers to despair," 15 Aug. 2019 This feedback loop also allows the AI to quickly bootstrap itself out of a nearly blank-slate state of ignorance. — Quanta Magazine, "Clever Machines Learn How to Be Curious," 19 Sep. 2017 The first time Kia tried to bootstrap itself into the premium/entry luxury space was in 2012, with the K900 sedan. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "2018 Kia Stinger GT2: The Best German Car to Come Out of South Korea," 6 Apr. 2018 On top of sweat equity, Markkula sunk a substantial portion of his personal wealth into Apple and helped persuade others to bootstrap the firm. — Stephen Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Troublemakers: Silicon Valley’s Coming of Age,’ by Leslie Berlin," 3 Nov. 2017 Immigrants, regardless of their merit coming in, tend to bootstrap themselves up in a remarkable way. — Roger Showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Merit-based immigration: Good idea?," 10 Aug. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bootstrap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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