boots

[ boots ]

/ buts /

noun, plural boots. British.

a servant, as at a hotel, who blacks or polishes shoes and boots.

Origin of boots

1615–25; plural of boot¹; see -s³

Words nearby boots

bootleg play, bootlegged, bootless, bootlick, bootloader, boots, boots and all, boots and saddles, bootstrap, bootstrap memory, boottopping

Definition for boots (2 of 4)

boot ¹

[ boot ]

/ but /

noun

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

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

an overshoe, especially one of rubber or other waterproof material.

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.

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

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

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

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

a cloth covering for this receptacle or place.

British. the trunk of an automobile.

a rubber covering for the connection between each spark-plug terminal and ignition cable in an automotive ignition system.

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.

U.S. Navy, Marines. a recruit.

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

a kick.

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

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

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

Computers. an act or instance of starting up a computer or program.

verb (used with object)

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

Football. to kick.

Baseball. to fumble (a ground ball).

to put boots on; equip or provide with boots.

Computers.

to start (a computer) by loading and initializing the operating system (often followed by up).
to start (a program) by loading the first few instructions, which will then bring in the rest (often followed by up).

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

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

to torture with the boot.

verb (used without object)

Computers. to start a computer or program, or be started in this way (often followed by up): My laptop won't boot and shows a blank screen.

Origin of boot

1275–1325; Middle English bote < Anglo-French, Old French; of uncertain origin

Definition for boots (3 of 4)

boot ²

[ boot ]

/ but /

noun

Archaic. something given into the bargain.

Obsolete.

advantage.
remedy; relief; help.

verb (used with or without object)

Archaic. to be of profit, advantage, or avail (to): It boots thee not to complain.

Origin of boot

before 1000; Middle English bote, Old English bōt advantage; cognate with Dutch boete, German Busse, Old Norse bōt, Gothic bota; see bet¹, better¹

Definition for boots (4 of 4)

boot ³

[ boot ]

/ but /

noun Archaic.

booty; spoil; plunder.

Origin of boot

1585–95; special use of boot² by association with booty¹

Example sentences from the Web for boots

If anything demonstrates the power of comedy to make dictators quake in their boots, it is the events of the past few days.

The Sony Hack and America’s Craven Capitulation To Terror |David Keyes |December 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Sometimes there would be caricatures in which his body was swallowed up by his boots.

Stonewall Jackson, VMI’s Most Embattled Professor |S. C. Gwynne |November 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
For the next hour, she verbally humiliated him while he licked her boots and feet until they were completely cleaned.

Whip It: Secrets of a Dominatrix |Justin Jones |November 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He crumpled to the ground under a flurry of fists and boots, and as he recalls, no one around him tried to stop the attack.

As 30-Year Anniversary of Mass Killings in India Arrives, Sikhs Find Safety in USA |Simran Jeet Singh |October 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

“The only disadvantage is contrary to President Obama, we definitely have ‘boots on the ground,’” the former Army officer said.

Air Force Pilots Say They're Flying Blind Against ISIS |Dave Majumdar |October 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The Englander carries his boots on the top of his carriageI have seen them in London.

The Garden of Swords |Max Pemberton
Across the street he saw a window with a display of camping equipment, portable stoves, boots, rifles.

It Could Be Anything |John Keith Laumer
Otherwise, if he had to change his boots during the daytime he put on another pair.

The Eldest Son |Archibald Marshall
It was wiser to disguise himself as a humble country boy and gall his feet by carrying all his gold in his boots.

English Travellers of the Renaissance |Clare Howard
Half of them had not even their boots on, but desperate grunts and scuffles sounded inside the dark sheds.

Back o' the Moon |Oliver Onions

British Dictionary definitions for boots (1 of 3)

boots

/ (buːts) /

noun plural boots

British (formerly) a shoeblack who cleans the guests' shoes in a hotel

British Dictionary definitions for boots (2 of 3)

boot ¹

/ (buːt) /

noun

a strong outer covering for the foot; shoe that extends above the ankle, often to the knee See also chukka boot, top boot, Wellington boots, surgical boot

an enclosed compartment of a car for holding luggage, etc, usually at the rear US and Canadian name: trunk

a protective covering over a mechanical device, such as a rubber sheath protecting a coupling joining two shafts

US and Canadian a rubber patch used to repair a puncture in a tyre

an instrument of torture used to crush the foot and lower leg

a protective covering for the lower leg of a horse

a kick he gave the door a boot

British slang an ugly person (esp in the phrase old boot)

US slang a navy or marine recruit, esp one in training

computing short for bootstrap (def. 4a)

bet one's boots to be certain you can bet your boots he'll come

See boots and all

die with one's boots on

to die while still active
to die in battle

lick the boots of to be servile, obsequious, or flattering towards

put the boot in slang

to kick a person, esp when he or she is already down
to harass someone or aggravate a problem
to finish off (something) with unnecessary brutality

the boot slang dismissal from employment; the sack

the boot is on the other foot or the boot is on the other leg the situation is or has now reversed

too big for one's boots self-important or conceited

verb

(tr) (esp in football) to kick

(tr) to equip with boots

(tr) informal

(often foll by out) to eject forcibly
to dismiss from employment

Also: boot up to start up the operating system of (a computer) or (of a computer) to begin operating

Word Origin for boot

C14 bote, from Old French, of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for boots (3 of 3)

boot ²

/ (buːt) /

verb (usually impersonal)

archaic to be of advantage or use to (a person) what boots it to complain?

noun

obsolete an advantage

dialect something given in addition, esp to equalize an exchange a ten pound boot to settle the bargain

to boot as well; in addition it's cold and musty, and damp to boot

Word Origin for boot

Old English bōt compensation; related to Old Norse bōt remedy, Gothic bōta, Old High German buoza improvement

Idioms and Phrases with boots

boot

In addition to the idioms beginning with boot

boot out
boot up

also see:

die with one's boots on
get the ax (boot)
kick (boot) out
lick someone's boots
pull oneself up (by the bootstraps)
quake in one's boots
to boot
too big for one's breeches (boots)
you can bet your ass (boots)

Also see undershoe.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

boots

noun, plural boots. British.

Origin of boots

Words nearby boots

Definition for boots (2 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of boot

Definition for boots (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used with or without object)

Origin of boot

Definition for boots (4 of 4)

noun Archaic.

Origin of boot

Example sentences from the Web for boots

British Dictionary definitions for boots (1 of 3)

noun plural boots

British Dictionary definitions for boots (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Word Origin for boot

British Dictionary definitions for boots (3 of 3)

verb (usually impersonal)

noun

Word Origin for boot

Idioms and Phrases with boots

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

boots

noun, plural boots. British.

Origin of boots

Words nearby boots

Definition for boots (2 of 4)

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of boot

Definition for boots (3 of 4)

noun

verb (used with or without object)

Origin of boot

Definition for boots (4 of 4)

noun Archaic.

Origin of boot

Words related to boots

Example sentences from the Web for boots

British Dictionary definitions for boots (1 of 3)

noun plural boots

British Dictionary definitions for boots (2 of 3)

noun

verb

Word Origin for boot

British Dictionary definitions for boots (3 of 3)

verb (usually impersonal)

noun

Word Origin for boot

Idioms and Phrases with boots