boot vs punt

boot

verb
  • To eject; kick out. 

  • To disconnect forcibly; to eject from an online service, conversation, etc. 

  • To bootstrap; to start a system, e.g. a computer, by invoking its boot process or bootstrap. 

  • To apply corporal punishment (compare slippering). 

  • To vomit. 

  • To kick. 

  • To shoot, to kill by gunfire. 

  • To start or restart a computer or other electronic system; to bootstrap. 

  • To put boots on, especially for riding. 

  • To step on the accelerator of a vehicle for faster acceleration than usual or to drive faster than usual. 

noun
  • A tyre. 

  • A torture device used on the feet or legs, such as a Spanish boot. 

  • The act or process of removing or firing someone (dismissing them from a job or other post). 

  • The inflated flag leaf sheath of a wheat plant. 

  • A crust end-piece of a loaf of bread. 

  • A parking enforcement device used to immobilize a car until it can be towed or a fine is paid; a wheel clamp. 

  • The act or process of bootstrapping; the starting or re-starting of a computing device. 

  • That which is given to make an exchange equal, or to make up for the deficiency of value in one of the things exchanged; compensation; recompense. 

  • An unattractive person, ugly woman. 

  • The luggage storage compartment of a sedan or saloon car. 

  • Profit, plunder. 

  • A hard plastic case for a long firearm, typically moulded to the shape of the gun and intended for use in a vehicle. 

  • A heavy shoe that covers part of the leg. 

  • A recently arrived recruit; a rookie. 

  • A linear amplifier used with CB radio. 

  • A bootleg recording. 

  • A bobbled ball. 

  • A blow with the foot; a kick. 

  • A flexible cover of rubber or plastic, which may be preformed to a particular shape and used to protect a shaft, lever, switch, or opening from dust, dirt, moisture, etc. 

  • A rubber bladder on the leading edge of an aircraft’s wing, which is inflated periodically to remove ice buildup; a deicing boot. 

  • A kind of sports shoe worn by players of certain games such as cricket and football. 

  • A black person. 

punt

verb
  • To eject; to kick out of a place. 

  • To propel a punt or similar craft by means of a pole. 

  • To kick a bouncing ball far and high. 

  • To retreat from one's objective; to abandon an effort one still notionally supports. 

  • To equivocate and delay or put off (answering a question, addressing an issue, etc). 

  • To make the best choice from a set of non-ideal alternatives. 

  • To stake against the bank, to back a horse, to gamble or take a chance more generally 

  • To make a highly speculative investment or other commitment, or take a wild guess. 

  • To dropkick; to kick something a considerable distance. 

  • Of a fish, to walk along the seafloor using its fins as limbs. 

  • To kick a ball dropped from the hands before it hits the ground. (This puts the ball farther from the goal across which the opposing team is attempting to score, so improves the chances of the team punting.) 

  • To play at basset, baccara, faro, etc. 

noun
  • A pontoon; a narrow shallow boat propelled by a pole. 

  • A kick made by a player who drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground. 

  • Gambling, as a pastime, especially betting on horseraces or the dogs. E.g anyone up for a punt on Randwick? 

  • A highly speculative investment or other commitment. 

  • A wild guess. 

  • A thin glass rod which is temporarily attached to a larger piece in order to better manipulate the larger piece. 

  • A bet or wager. 

  • The act of playing at basset, baccara, faro, etc. 

  • An indentation in the base of a wine bottle. 

  • A point in the game of faro. 

  • The Irish pound, used as the unit of currency of Ireland until it was replaced by the euro in 2002. 

How often have the words boot and punt occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )