# reboot

Pronunciation: say "ree-BOOT" US /ˌɹiˈbut/, UK /ˌɹiːˈbuːt/

## Verb

1. To run a computer's startup sequence again, resetting it and reloading the operating system, often after a crash.
   - Simple: To turn a computer off and on again so it starts up fresh.
   - _The technician rebooted the server after installing the security patch._
   - _When the update stalls, reboot the machine to clear the error._
3. To make a fresh start, beginning anew rather than continuing along the old path.
   - Simple: To start something over again from the beginning.
   - _The company rebooted its marketing strategy after years of decline._
   - _He took a year off to reboot and rethink his career._
5. To restart something or return it to its original configuration or state.
   - Simple: To start something over from the beginning, returning it to its first state.
   - _Engineers reboot the server whenever the software stops responding._
   - _The director chose to reboot the franchise rather than continue the original storyline._

## Noun

Pronunciation: say "REE-boot" /ˈɹiːbuːt/

2. A single instance of restarting a computer so that the operating system reloads.
   - Simple: A time when a computer is turned off and on again to start fresh.
   - _The crash required a full reboot before the system responded._
   - _Most major updates need a reboot to take effect._
4. A fresh start in which something begins again rather than continuing from where it left off.
   - Simple: A new beginning, starting again from the start.
   - _The struggling brand launched a full reboot of its public image._
   - _After the scandal, the party promised a reboot of its leadership._
6. A restart of a series' storyline that discards all previous continuity, telling the story over from scratch.
   - Simple: A new version of a story series that ignores everything that came before.
   - _The studio announced a reboot that erased decades of comic-book history._
   - _Critics praised the reboot for reimagining the characters from the ground up._
7. A restart of a series' storyline that keeps the previous continuity intact rather than discarding it.
   - Simple: A restart of a story series that keeps what happened before.
   - _The so-called reboot actually preserved every event from the earlier seasons._
   - _Marketing labeled the revival a reboot, though the original continuity remained._

## Origin

Formed from the prefix "re-" meaning "again" combined with "boot."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/reboot (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).