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. [ 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. ]

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 ]