To boot

To boot is one of the oldest expressions in the language and is still used today meaning ‘in addition to’, ‘moreover’ or ‘as well’. It dates from late 10th/early 11th century and is connected to Old English bat or bot from which the comparative ‘better’ is derived. Its earliest known context is to signify something that is better in the sense of something extra or a bonus. By at least the 1300s, to boot had become a common everyday expression. Shakespeare used it many times, but also used it in its earlier context. “Make boot of his distraction” (Antony and Cleopatra Act II, Scene V) in this instance, Shakespeare means, take advantage or make more of his distraction. There is no etymological connection whatsoever to boot as in footwear.