Definitions
1.verbTo help (oneself) without the aid of others."Sam spent years bootstrapping himself through college."
2.verbTo load the operating system into the memory of a computer. Usually shortened to boot.
3.verbTo compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program."Bootstrapping means building the GNU C Library, GNU Compiler Collection and several other key system programs.http//www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=6"
4.verbTo employ a bootstrap method.
5.verbTo expand or advance an activity or a collection based solely on previous actions, work, findings, etc.
6.nounThe process by which something is bootstrapped.