# bootstrap

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbuːtˌstɹæp/ · frequency rank #33,959

## Definitions
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. A means of advancing oneself or accomplishing something without aid.
3. The process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory.
4. The process necessary to compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program.
5. Any method or instance of estimating properties of an estimator (such as its variance) by measuring those properties when sampling from an approximating distribution.

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

## Common misspellings (14)
`bbootstrap`, `boosttrap`, `bootsrtap`, `bootsstrap`, `bootstarp`, `bootstrapp`, `bootstrpa`, `bootstrrap`, `bootsttrap`, `boottsrap`, `boottstrap`, `botostrap`, `botstrap`, `obotstrap`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bootstrap