To help (oneself) without the aid of others.
Sam spent years bootstrapping himself through college.
To load the operating system into the memory of a computer. Usually shortened to boot.
To 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
To employ a bootstrap method.
To expand or advance an activity or a collection based solely on previous actions, work, findings, etc.
The process by which something is bootstrapped.