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 ]

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.

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

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 ]

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 ]

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 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 ]

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

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

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

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