I. ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
1. : a looped strap sewed at the side or the rear top of a boot to help in pulling it on
2. bootstraps plural : unaided efforts — often used in the phrase by one's bootstraps
“well, George, … pull yourself up by your own bootstraps and start in to be a man” — Helen Eustis
II. adjective
: based on or carried out with minimum resources or advantages : relying on its own efforts
the city recovered from the flood by the bootstrap method
a bootstrap operation
III. noun
: a computer routine consisting of a few initial instructions by means of which the rest of the instructions are brought into the computer
IV. adjective
1. : being or relating to a process that is self-generated or self-sustaining
2. : being or relating to a device that is self-acting
3. : of or relating to a hypothesis of particle physics which assumes that all strongly interacting particles are composite systems made up of other strongly interacting particles
V. ˈ ̷ ̷ ˌ ̷ ̷ transitive verb
1. : boot herein
2. : to promote or develop by initiative and effort with little or no assistance
the junior-grade professional woman may face stiff opposition when she tries to bootstrap her way up — Lisa C. Wohl
• bootstrapper ˈ ̷ ̷ ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ noun