What it means
Boot is the everyday British type word for the storage bit at the back of a car, what Americans call the trunk. You hear it all the time in normal chat like pop it in the boot or chuck it in the boot. Yeah, same word as the thing on your foot, but nobody's getting shoelace visions from context.
Usage examples
"Chuck the esky in the boot, we’re off down the coast. After that Bunnings stop, it’s already packed to the gills, mate."
"Chuck the camping kit in the boot of the Mondeo for the trip up to the Peak District, the gas stove on the left, the bag of cans on the right, and the dog blanket folded in the wheel well next to the spare tyre we have not used since two thousand and seven."
"My nan keeps an emergency tin of digestive biscuits in the boot of her Nissan Micra at all times, along with a folding chair, a thermos and a high-vis jacket, just in case the M62 closes again and the route home from Manchester takes the scenic way."
"Can you grab the jumper out the boot, it's gone proper Baltic all of a sudden."
"We filled the boot with festival tat, six bottles of water and a tent that absolutely won't fit back in later."
Where it comes from
Boot goes back to coach travel in the 18th century, when a boot was an outside box built onto a carriage for luggage and tools. When cars turned up, the name came along for the ride and stuck to the rear storage space in British, Australian and New Zealand English.
