"to lift or raise by pushing from behind," 1815, literal and figurative, American English, a word of unknown origin. Related: Boosted; boosting. As a noun, "a lift, a shove up, an upward push," by 1825.
Entries linking to boost
booster n.
1885, "one who boosts" or promotes something, agent noun from boost (v.). The electrical sense is recorded from 1894. Young child's booster chair is attested under that name from 1957 (booster-seat is from 1956). Related: Boosterism (1902).