self

Syllabification: (self)

Pronunciation: /self/

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Definition of self

noun (plural selves /selvz/)

a person’s essential being that distinguishes them from others, especially considered as the object of introspection or reflexive action:our alienation from our true selves [in singular]:guilt can be turned against the self language is an aspect of a person’s sense of self
[with adjective] a person’s particular nature or personality; the qualities that make a person individual or unique:by the end of the round he was back to his old self Paula seemed to be her usual cheerful self
one’s own interests or pleasure:to love in an unpossessive way implies the total surrender of self

pronoun (plural selves)

oneself, in particular.
[with adjective] (one's self) used ironically to refer in specified glowing terms to oneself or someone else:the only side worth supporting is your own sweet self

adjective

[attributive]

(of a trimming or cover) of the same material and color as the rest of the item:a dress with self belt

verb

[with object] chiefly Botany

self-pollinate; self-fertilize: (as noun selfing)the flowers never open and pollination is normally by selfing
(usually as adjective selfed) Genetics cause (an animal or plant) to breed with or fertilize one of the same hybrid origin or strain:progeny were derived from selfed crosses

Origin:

Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zelf and German selbe. Early use was emphatic, expressing the sense '(I) myself', '(he) himself', etc. The verb dates from the early 20th century

self in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of self in the British & World English dictionary

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self

noun (plural selves /selvz/)

pronoun (plural selves)

adjective

verb

Origin:

self in other Oxford dictionaries

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