Boot

–noun

1.	a covering of leather, rubber, or the like, for the foot and all or part of the leg.

2.	Chiefly British. any shoe or outer foot covering reaching to the ankle.

3.	an overshoe, esp. one of rubber or other waterproof material.

4.	an instrument of torture for the leg, consisting of a kind of vise extending from the knee to the ankle, tightened around the leg by means of screws.

5.	any sheathlike protective covering: a boot for a weak automobile tire.

6.	a protective covering for the foot and part of the leg of a horse.

2c2 7.

a protecting cover or apron for the driver's seat of an open vehicle.

8.	the receptacle or place into which the top of a convertible car fits when lowered.

9.	a cloth covering for this receptacle or place.

10.	British. the trunk of an automobile.

11.	a rubber covering for the connection between each spark-plug termi 3e8 nal and ignition cable in an automotive ignition system.

12.	Also called Denver boot. a metal device attached to the wheel of a parked car so that it cannot be driven away until a fine is paid or the owner reports to the police: used by police to catch scofflaws.

13.	U.S. Navy, Marines. a recruit.

14.	Music. the box that holds the reed in the reed pipe of an organ.

15.

a kick.

16.	Slang. a dismissal; discharge: They gave him the boot for coming in late.

17.	Informal. a sensation of pleasure or amusement: Watching that young skater win a gold medal gave me a real boot.

18.	Baseball. a fumble of a ball batted on the ground, usually to the infield.

–verb (used with object)

19.	to kick; drive by kicking: The boy booted a tin can down the street.

20.	Football. to kick.

21.	Baseball. to fumble (a ground ball).

22.	to put boots on; equip or provide with boots.

23.	Also, bootstrap. Computers. a. to start (a computer) by loading the operating system. b. to start (a program) by loading the first few instructions, which will then bring in the rest.

24.	Slang. to dismiss; discharge: They booted him out of school for not studying.

25.	to attach a Denver boot to: Police will boot any car with unpaid fines.

26.	to torture with the boot.

—Idioms

27.	bet your boots, to be sure or certain: You can bet your boots that I'll be there!

b68

28.	die with one's boots on, a. to die while actively engaged in one's work, profession, etc. b. to die fighting, esp. in battle, or in some worthy cause. Also, especially British, die in one's boots.

29.	get a boot, Informal. to derive keen enjoyment: I really got a boot out of his ridiculous stories.