bootstrap

English

The bootstrap can be seen at the top of the boot that is standing upright.

Etymology

From boot +‎ strap. The sense "pull up (without aid)" comes from the phrase pull oneself up by one's bootstraps.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbuːtˌstɹæp/

Noun

bootstrap (plural bootstraps)

1. A loop (leather or other material) sewn at the side or top rear of a boot to help in pulling the boot on.
2. (figuratively) A means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something without aid.

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

4. (computing) The process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory.
5. (computing) The process necessary to compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program.
6. (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.

Derived terms

• bootstrap aggregating
• bootstrap aggregation
• bootstrap model
• bootstrap paradox
• bootstrap principle
• bootstrap theory
• pull oneself up by one's bootstraps

Related terms

• booting
• cold boot

Translations

a loop at the top of a boot to help in pulling it on

• Catalan: llengüeta (ca) f
• Czech: poutko n
• Dutch: laarzentrekker m, laarzenstrop m or f
• Estonian: alglaadimine
• Faroese: stivlastroppur m
• Finnish: saapasraksi
• French: languette (fr), tirant (fr) m
• German: Stiefelriemen m, Schuhriemen (de) m, Stiefelschlaufe f, Stiefelstrippe f
• Icelandic: stígvélahanki m
• Italian: linguetta (it) f, tirante (it) m
• Romanian: limbă de ghete f
• Russian: у́шко (ru) n (úško)
• Spanish: lengüeta (es) f
• Turkish: çizme bağı

a means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something

• Dutch: springplank (nl), trampoline (nl)
• Finnish: laukaisualusta (fi)
• French: tremplin (fr) m
• German: Hilfsmittel (de) n, Selbsthilfe (de) f, eigene Kraft f, Eigendynamik (de) f
• Italian: trampolino (it) m
• Romanian: amorsare (ro) f

the process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory — see also boot

• Catalan: arrencada (ca) f
• Dutch: opstart (nl)
• Esperanto: praŝargo, startigo
• Finnish: käynnistyslatain, esilatausohjelma
• French: amorçage (fr) m
• German: Startprogramm n, Hochfahren n, Startroutine f, Urlader m, Ladeprogramm n, Lader (de) m
• Greek: εκκίνηση (el) n (ekkínisi)
• Icelandic: ræsiforrit n
• Indonesian: but (id), inisialisasi (id)
• Italian: avvio (it) m
• Polish: rozruch (pl) m
• Portuguese: arranque (pt) m
• Romanian: bootstrap n (butstrap)
• Russian: загру́зка (ru) f (zagrúzka)
• Spanish: arranque (es) m

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

• Esperanto: malvolvo
• Finnish: perustyökalujen kääntäminen, bootstrap (fi)
• Italian: caricamento (it) m

method or instance of estimating properties of an estimator

• Finnish: bootstrap-menetelmä

See also

• Bootstrapping (statistics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

bootstrap (third-person singular simple present bootstraps, present participle bootstrapping, simple past and past participle bootstrapped)

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

   Sam spent years bootstrapping himself through college.

2. (computing) To load the operating system into the memory of a computer. Usually shortened to boot.
3. (computing) To compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program.

   Bootstrapping means building the GNU C Library, GNU Compiler Collection and several other key system programs.[1]

4. (statistics) To employ a bootstrap method.
5. To expand or advance an activity or a collection based solely on previous actions, work, findings, etc.
   • 2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide‎^[2], page 5:

     Gradually, more and more terms were discovered, especially as there was a tendency in the literature to list a number of related terms together, thus allowing me to bootstrap new terms found accompanying those originally searched for.

Related terms

• reboot

Translations

to help (oneself) without the aid of others

• Czech: poradit si pf
• Dutch: zelfredzaam zijn, zichzelf (be)helpen
• Estonian: alglaadima
• French: se débrouiller (fr)
• German: sich selbst helfen, auf sich selbst gestellt sein, selbstständig sein, alleine zurechtkommen
• Italian: cavarsela da solo
• Romanian: pornire (ro)
• Spanish: arreglárselas, arreglárselas solo
• Swedish: starta (sv)

to load the operating system — see boot

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

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 自舉／自举 (zìjǔ)

• Icelandic: sjálfþýða

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Bulgarian: зареждам (Is this for "start up" or "kick"?)
• French: ^{(please verify)} amorcer (fr), ^{(please verify)} se débrouiller, ^{(please verify)} lancer (fr)
• Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} (长统靴的) 拔靴带 (cháng tǒng xuē de) (bá xuē dài)
• Portuguese: desenrascar (pt)
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} butare (slang comp)