bootstrapper
bootstrapper Lexical Profile
bootstrapper Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An entrepreneur who starts and grows a business using personal finances or operating revenue rather than relying on external venture capital or outside investment.
"As a dedicated bootstrapper, she funded the software company entirely through early customer subscriptions rather than seeking venture capital."
A person who improves their situation or achieves success solely through their own resourcefulness and effort without outside assistance.
"Having worked two jobs to pay his way through college, he prided himself on being a self-reliant bootstrapper."
A small initial program or software routine that loads and initializes the main operating system or a larger application.
"The installer uses a lightweight bootstrapper to check for required system updates before downloading the main application files."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the 19th-century idiom 'to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps,' referring to an impossible feat of lifting oneself off the ground using the leather loops sewn onto tall boots, which later evolved to mean achieving success entirely through one's own unaided effort.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.