*self*

n. a slender nonstinging insect similar to but smaller than the dragonfly but having wings folded when at rest. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. performed or made by an end-user who is without professional training in the relevant techniques; as, their house was a do-it-yourself project. Contrasted with factory-made and professional. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a person who often makes objects typically made by professionals, or performs repairs typically performed by professionals, though not having professional training in the relevant art. The term is used mostly to refer to activities related to maintaining a home. [ PJC ]

/mhw>, pron. pl. [ See Hem, pron. ] Themselves; -- used reflexively. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

pron. 1. An emphasized form of the third person feminine pronoun; -- used as a subject with she; as, she herself will bear the blame; also used alone in the predicate, either in the nominative or objective case; as, it is herself; she blames herself. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Her own proper, true, or real character; hence, her right, or sane, mind; as, the woman was deranged, but she is now herself again; she has come to herself. [ 1913 Webster ]

By herself, alone; apart; unaccompanied. [ 1913 Webster ]

pron. 1. An emphasized form of the third person masculine pronoun; -- used as a subject usually with he; as, he himself will bear the blame; used alone in the predicate, either in the nominative or objective case; as, it is himself who saved himself. [ 1913 Webster ]

But he himself returned from the quarries. Judges iii. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

David hid himself in the field. 1 Sam. xx. 24. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord himself shall give you a sign. Is. vii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who gave himself for us, that he might . . . purify unto himself a peculiar people. Titus ii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

With shame remembers, while himself was one
Of the same herd, himself the same had done. Denham. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Himself was formerly used instead of itself. See Note under Him. [ 1913 Webster ]

It comprehendeth in himself all good. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One's true or real character; one's natural temper and disposition; the state of being in one's right or sane mind (after unconsciousness, passion, delirium, or abasement); as, the man has come to himself. [ 1913 Webster ]

By himself, alone; unaccompanied; apart; sequestered; as, he sits or studies by himself. --
To leave one to himself, to withdraw from him; to let him take his own course.

/mhw>, (&unr_;), pron. pl. Themselves. See Hemself. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

pron. The neuter reflexive pronoun of It; as, the thing is good in itself; it stands by itself. [ 1913 Webster ]

Borrowing of foreigners, in itself, makes not the kingdom rich or poor. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

pron.; pl. Ourselves I or me in person; -- used for emphasis, my own self or person; as I myself will do it; I have done it myself; -- used also instead of me, as the object of the first person of a reflexive verb, without emphasis; as, I will defend myself. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. That which is not oneself. [ PJC ]

2. (Immunology) Any material that enters the body and is not recognized by the immune system as being part of its body, thereby triggering an immune response; any material appearing to the immune system to be foreign to its body. [ PJC ]

n. (Metaph.) The negative of self. “A cognizance of notself.” Sir. W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

pron. A reflexive form of the indefinite pronoun one. Commonly written as two words, one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

One's self (or more properly oneself), is quite a modern form. In Elizabethan English we find a man's self = one's self. Morris. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. self, seolf, sylf; akin to OS. self, OFries. self, D. zelf, G. selb, selber, selbst, Dan. selv. Sw. sjelf, Icel. sjālfr, Goth. silba. Cf. Selvage. ] 1. Same; particular; very; identical. [ Obs., except in the compound selfsame. ] “On these self hills.” Sir. W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

To shoot another arrow that self way
Which you did shoot the first. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

At that self moment enters Palamon. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having its own or a single nature or character, as in color, composition, etc., without addition or change; unmixed; as, a self bow, one made from a single piece of wood; self flower or plant, one which is wholly of one color; self-colored. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n.; pl. Selves 1. The individual as the object of his own reflective consciousness; the man viewed by his own cognition as the subject of all his mental phenomena, the agent in his own activities, the subject of his own feelings, and the possessor of capacities and character; a person as a distinct individual; a being regarded as having personality. “Those who liked their real selves.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man's self may be the worst fellow to converse with in the world. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

The self, the I, is recognized in every act of intelligence as the subject to which that act belongs. It is I that perceive, I that imagine, I that remember, I that attend, I that compare, I that feel, I that will, I that am conscious. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, personal interest, or love of private interest; selfishness; as, self is his whole aim. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Personification; embodiment. [ Poetic. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

She was beauty's self. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Self is united to certain personal pronouns and pronominal adjectives to express emphasis or distinction. Thus, for emphasis; I myself will write; I will examine for myself; thou thyself shalt go; thou shalt see for thyself; you yourself shall write; you shall see for yourself; he himself shall write; he shall examine for himself; she herself shall write; she shall examine for herself; the child itself shall be carried; it shall be present itself. It is also used reflexively; as, I abhor myself; thou enrichest thyself; he loves himself; she admires herself; it pleases itself; we walue ourselves; ye hurry yourselves; they see themselves. Himself, herself, themselves, are used in the nominative case, as well as in the objective. “Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples.” John iv. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ self is used in the formation of innumerable compounds, usually of obvious signification, in most of which it denotes either the agent or the object of the action expressed by the word with which it is joined, or the person in behalf of whom it is performed, or the person or thing to, for, or towards whom or which a quality, attribute, or feeling expressed by the following word belongs, is directed, or is exerted, or from which it proceeds; or it denotes the subject of, or object affected by, such action, quality, attribute, feeling, or the like; as, self-abandoning, self-abnegation, self-abhorring, self-absorbed, self-accusing, self-adjusting, self-balanced, self-boasting, self-canceled, self-combating, self-commendation, self-condemned, self-conflict, self-conquest, self-constituted, self-consumed, self-contempt, self-controlled, self-deceiving, self-denying, self-destroyed, self-disclosure, self-display, self-dominion, self-doomed, self-elected, self-evolved, self-exalting, self-excusing, self-exile, self-fed, self-fulfillment, self-governed, self-harming, self-helpless, self-humiliation, self-idolized, self-inflicted, self-improvement, self-instruction, self-invited, self-judging, self-justification, self-loathing, self-loving, self-maintenance, self-mastered, self-nourishment, self-perfect, self-perpetuation, self-pleasing, self-praising, self-preserving, self-questioned, self-relying, self-restraining, self-revelation, self-ruined, self-satisfaction, self-support, self-sustained, self-sustaining, self-tormenting, self-troubling, self-trust, self-tuition, self-upbraiding, self-valuing, self-worshiping, and many others. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Humbled by consciousness of inferiority, unworthiness, guilt, or shame. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Degradation of one's self by one's own act. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Humiliation or abasement proceeding from consciousness of inferiority, guilt, or shame. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Lowering or humbling one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abhorrence of one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Self-denial; self-renunciation; self-sacrifice. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The abuse of one's own self, powers, or faculties. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Self-deception; delusion. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Masturbation; onanism; self-pollution. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Accused by one's self or by one's conscience. “Die self-accused.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Acting of or by one's self or by itself; -- said especially of a machine or mechanism which is made to perform of or for itself what is usually done by human agency; automatic; as, a self-acting feed apparatus; a self-acting mule; a self-acting press. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Action by, or originating in, one's self or itself. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Acting of one's self or of itself; acting without depending on other agents. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being self-active; self-action. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Mach.) Capable of assuming a desired position or condition with relation to other parts, under varying circumstances, without requiring to be adjusted by hand; -- said of a piece in machinery. [ 1913 Webster ]

Self-adjusting bearing (Shafting), a bearing which is supported in such a manner that it may tip to accomodate flexure or displacement of the shaft. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Admiration of one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. One's own affairs; one's private business. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Frightened at or by one's self. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The aggrandizement of one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Annihilated by one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Annihilation by one's own acts; annihilation of one's desires. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Applause of one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Applying to or by one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Approving one's own action or character by one's own judgment. [ 1913 Webster ]

One self-approving hour whole years outweighs
Of stupid starers and of loud huzzas. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. asserting one's self, or one's own rights or claims; hence, putting one's self forward in a confident or assuming manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of asserting one's self, or one's own rights or claims; the quality of being self-asserting. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Disposed to self-assertion; self-asserting. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Assumed by one's own act, or without authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Assured by or of one's self; self-reliant; complacent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Exiled voluntarily. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Begotten by one's self, or one's own powers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A reaping machine containing mechanism for binding the grain into sheaves. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Born or produced by one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being self-centered. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. 1. Centered in itself, or in one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

There hangs the ball of earth and water mixt,
Self-centered and unmoved. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. interested solely or primiarily in oneself, or one's own welfare; disinclined to consider the interests of others; selfish; egotistical. [ PJC ]

{ a. Centering in one's self. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Self-love. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]