Booting

/ˈbuːtɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The process of starting up a computer system by loading the operating system. Also refers to forcibly removing someone from a position or location.

Etymology

From 'bootstrap,' referring to the impossible task of lifting oneself by one's own bootstraps. In computing (1950s), it described how computers start themselves from nothing, loading basic instructions to load more complex ones.

Kelly Says

The term 'booting' captures the paradox of computer startup - how does a machine with no active software load software? Early computers literally pulled themselves up by their bootstraps through clever hardware tricks and tiny boot programs!

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