boot camp

noun

1

: a navy or marine corps camp for basic training

2

: a disciplinary facility or program in which young offenders are forced to participate in a rigidly structured routine

3

: a place or undertaking that resembles a military boot camp especially by requiring one to endure intensive training or initiation

Nowadays, the more talented players view their college years as necessary boot camp to prepare them for the riches waiting for them in pro football.

—Anson Mount

These youngsters are put through what amounts to a boot camp of courses in music notation, basic harmony and ear-training.

—Smithsonian

Examples of boot camp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These programs can be in the form of boot camps and one time certificate level accreditation for employees to get their foot in the door, or degree programs at community colleges. —Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Oct. 2024

So all of that encouragement hits me differently from the approach of some boot camp commandant. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

At boot camp, Vi and her fellow cadets are put through a rigorous grind under the uncompromising supervision of Captain Ryan Douglas (Klena). —EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024

After being disappointed by Vi one time too many, the Queen (Durance) decides to test her daughter’s mettle once and for all and issues an ultimatum: Vi must pass a vigorous leadership boot camp in Colorado or lose the throne to her uncle. —Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

boot camp

noun

: a camp where recently enlisted members of the Navy or Marine Corps receive their basic training