What does reboot mean?
Reboot means to restart a computer or other electronic system so that it begins operating again, usually by reloading its operating system or by switching it off and on. The word is also used figuratively when someone asks another person or system to start over after becoming unresponsive. In technical settings, a reboot is distinct from merely closing and reopening an application: it restarts the underlying system. In everyday conversation, however, “reboot” is often used loosely as a quick troubleshooting suggestion, implying that a fresh start may solve the problem. Its imagery comes from the older computing metaphor of a computer booting up, which in turn borrowed the language of footwear. The prefix “re-” adds the sense of doing that process again, making the term familiar for both technical users and the general public.
To restart a computer or other electronic system, or to reload its operating system.
"We rebooted the router and the network connection came back online."
Often used figuratively to mean restarting a process or asking someone to start over.
An act of restarting a computer or other electronic system, or the process by which it starts again.
"The system recovered after a quick reboot."
Usually countable; “reboots” is the standard plural.
The plural is used for individual restart events, as in “several reboots” or “scheduled reboots.”
"The updates required two reboots during the night."
Reboot is a piece of computing language built on an old metaphor: a computer “boots” like a shoe, and rebooting means putting the whole system back into motion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reboot come from?
The word combines the prefix re-, meaning “again,” with boot, a term used in computing for the process of loading an operating system when a computer is switched on. The computing sense of boot developed from the longer expression boot strap, originally associated with pulling on a boot with a strap. Reboot therefore literally means “boot again,” though in modern usage it commonly refers to restarting an entire computer or electronic device.
Related word forms
How reboot is actually used
The term is standard in computing and increasingly common informally for restarting a phone, router, or similar device. Figurative uses usually suggest a simple reset rather than a complete solution. In British English, “reboot” is also widely used for restarting a computer; no major regional difference is generally observed.
Easily confused with reboot
A reboot specifically starts a computer or electronic system again from its initial loading process, whereas a restart can refer more broadly to beginning any process, activity, or program again.
A reboot reloads the system's operating software, while a reset returns a system or individual setting to a specified initial state and may not involve a full restart.