bootstrap
/ˈbuːtˌstɹæp/ noun, verb
Forms bootstraps bootstrapping bootstrapped
- noun A loop (leather or other material) sewn at the side or top rear of a boot to help in pulling the boot on.
- noun (figuratively) A means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something without aid. “He used his business experience as a bootstrap to win voters.”
- noun (computing) The process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory.
- noun (computing) The process necessary to compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program.
- noun (statistics) 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. “Sam spent years bootstrapping himself through college.”
- verb (computing) To load the operating system into the memory of a computer. Usually shortened to boot.
- verb (computing) To compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of a system or program.
- verb (by extension) To build or put together (something) by first building or putting together the tools, building blocks, ideas, etc., necessary to build (the thing).
- verb (statistics) To employ a bootstrap method.
- verb To expand or advance an activity or a collection based solely on previous actions, work, findings, etc.
Etymology
From boot + strap. The sense "pull up (without aid)" comes from the phrase pull oneself up by one's bootstraps.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “bootstrap”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details