boot loader

Definition

A small program that initiates the bootstrap process by loading the operating system proper.

Etymology

From boot + loader.

Example Sentences

• "In the case of a PC that runs nothing but Windows, the boot loader in the MBR is hard-coded to check for a secondary boot loader in the active primary partition. This secondary boot loader directly loads the Windows kernel."
• "It was a thought that returned to me days later while reading an article about Elon Musk, one of the loudest voices calling to reopen the economy–a man who once referred to humanity as the “biological bootloaders” for AI."