A bootstrap is a small strap or loop at the back of a leather boot that enables you to pull the entire boot on. In computers, to bootstrap (or “to boot”) is to load a program into a computer using a much smaller initial program to load in the desired program (which is usually an operating system). In general usage, bootstrapping is the

leveraging of a small initial effort into something larger and more significant. There is also a common expression, “pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps,” meaning to leverage yourself to success from a small beginning.