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itself

[ it-self ]

pronoun

  1. a reflexive form of it 1:

    The battery recharges itself.

  2. an emphatic appositive of it 1, which, that, this, or a noun:

    which itself is also true; Even without flowers, the bowl itself is beautiful.

  3. (used as the object of a preposition or as the direct or indirect object of a verb):

    The chameleon's ability to change color is a protection for itself.

  4. its normal or customary self:

    After much tender care, the puppy was soon itself again.



itself

/ ɪtˈsɛlf /

pronoun

    1. the reflexive form of it 1
    2. (intensifier)

      even the money itself won't convince me

  1. preceded by a copula its normal or usual self

    my cat isn't itself today



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Usage Note

See myself.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of itself1

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hit self. See it 1, self

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Example Sentences

Since the 1950s, fluoride has adapted itself to the prevailing concerns of the time.

“Gronkowski” itself never manages to sound more erotic than the name of a hearty Polish stew or a D-list WWE performer.

While public interest in Ebola continues to dwindle, the epidemic itself continues to soar.

Finding the shop is a trip in itself and an introduction to a slice of history.

That apparently includes some members of the management of the airport itself and some air traffic controllers.

This mania for correction shows itself too in relation to the authorities themselves.

This is one of the most striking manifestations of the better side of child-nature and deserves a chapter to itself.

The well-worn aphorism of the Frenchman, “History repeats itself,” was about to assert itself.

Besides this fundamental or primary vibration, the movement divides itself into segments, or sections, of the entire length.

I've never had time to write home about it, for I felt that it required a dissertation in itself to do it justice.

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tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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it's a zooIt's never over till it's over