bootjack

American  

[boot-jak] / ˈbutˌdʒæk /

noun

1. a yokelike device for catching the heel of a boot, as a riding boot, to aid in removing it.

2. a notch or molding for the same purpose, cut into a piece of furniture.

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bootjack British  

/ ˈbuːtˌdʒæk /

noun

1. a device that grips the heel of a boot to enable the foot to be withdrawn easily

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Etymology

Origin of bootjack

First recorded in 1835–45; boot ¹ + jack ¹

Example Sentences

Governor Harry Woodring of Kansas exhibited a bootjack which was sold for $6.

From Time Magazine Archive

Best bootjack was that of Woodrow Weaver, 16.

From Time Magazine Archive

Later in the evening, when his mind had been set at rest about the bootjack, Laurie said suddenly to his wife, “Mrs. Laurence.”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

He then said to his dog, 'Dandie, I cannot find my bootjack; search for it.'

From Anecdotes of Dogs by Jesse, Edward

It would not look well to see a lady struggling out of a pair of wet boots with the help of a bootjack and a couple of chambermaids.

From A New Illustrated Edition of J. S. Rarey's Art of Taming Horses With the Substance of the Lectures at the Round House, and Additional Chapters on Horsemanship and Hunting, for the Young and Timid by Rarey, J. S. (John Solomon)