/ buːt; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a strong shoe that covers the foot and ankle and often the lower part of the leg :
( BrE )
walking boots
( NAmE )
hiking boots
a pair of black leather boots
cowboy boots
—see also desert boot , football boot , wellington
2.
( BrE ) ( NAmE trunk ) the space at the back of a car that you put bags, cases, etc. in :
I'll put the luggage in the boot.
—see also car boot sale —picture at convertible
3.
[ usually sing. ] ( informal ) a quick hard kick :
He gave the ball a tremendous boot.
4.
( NAmE ) = clamp (2)
•
IDIOMS
- be given the boot | get the boot
- the boot is on the other foot
- put / stick the boot in
- to boot
—more at big adjective , fill verb , lick verb , tough adjective
■ verb
1.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] to kick sb/sth hard with your foot :
He booted the ball clear of the goal.
2.
[ v , vn ] boot (sth) (up) ( computing ) to prepare a computer for use by loading its operating system ; to be prepared in this way
3.
[ vn ] be / get booted ( NAmE , informal ) if you or your car is booted , a piece of equipment is fixed to the car's wheel so that you cannot drive it away, usually because the car is illegally parked
—see also clamp
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- boot sb out (of sth)
SYN throw out
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun and verb Middle English : from Old Norse bóti or its source, Old French bote , of unknown ultimate origin.
to boot. Old English bōt advantage, remedy , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch boete and German Busse penance, fine, also to better and best .