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item

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: ítem and Item

English

Etymology

From Middle English item, from Latin item (“also; in the same manner”). The present English meaning derives from a usage in lists, where the first entry would begin in primis (“firstly”) or imprimis, and the other entries with item (“also, moreover”). Later, the members of lists were referred to as "items".

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈaɪ.təm/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈaɪ.təm/, [ˈaɪ̯.ɾəm], [ˈaɪ̯.ɾm̩]
    • Audio (US):(file)
  • (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈɑɪ.təm/, [ˈɑɪ.ɾəm]
  • Hyphenation: i‧tem

Noun

item (plural items)

  1. A distinct physical object.
    Tweezers are great for manipulating small items.
    • 2013 July 26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects   […] ”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32:
      The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters  […] . But the priciest items in the market aren't the armadillo steaks or even the bluefin tuna.
  2. (by extension, video games) An object that can be picked up for later use.
  3. A line of text having a legal or other meaning; a separate particular in an account.
    the items in a bill
    In response to the first item, we deny all wrongdoing.
    • 2001, David L. Lieber and Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 1143:
      Beyond being mere items of a legal code, they [the mitzvot] are the very basis of the relationship that God and the people Israel have established.
  4. (psychometrics) A question on a test, which may include its answers.
    The exam has 100 items, each of which includes a correct response and three distractors.
  5. A matter for discussion in an agenda.
    The first item for discussion is the budget for next year's picnic.
  6. (informal) Two people who are having a romantic or sexual relationship with each other.
    Jack and Jill are an item.
  8. A short article in a newspaper.
    an item concerning the weather
  9. (obsolete) A hint; an innuendo.
    • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
      A secret item was given to some of the bishops […] to absent themselves.
  10. (India) Ellipsis of item girl.
    • 2017, Nandita Chaudhary, Pernille Hviid, Giuseppina Marsico, Resistance in Everyday Life: Constructing Cultural Experiences, page 246:
      In this chapter, we will attempt to trace the course of initiation into the classical arts, from the self-taught gyrations of Bollywood items to the serious rigours of a classical Indian dance form.

Synonyms

  • (object): article, object, thing
  • (line of text having a legal or semantic meaning):
  • (matter for discussion): subject, topic
  • (two people who are having a relationship with each other): couple
  • (psychometrics): test/assessment question

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

line of text having a particular meaning
short article

Verb

item (third-person singular simple present items, present participle iteming, simple past and past participle itemed)

  1. (transitive) To make a note of.

Adverb

item (not comparable)

  1. likewise

Anagrams

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Czech

Pronunciation

Adverb

item

  1. (archaic) as well
    Synonyms: také, rovněž, dále, kromě toho
    Jedná se o zdravý všelék proti bolestem a item proti závrati. ― It's a healthy universal cure for pain and also for vertigo.

Further reading

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English item.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɑjtəm/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: item

Noun

item n (plural items, diminutive itempje n)

  1. item (matter of discussion)
    Synonyms: thema, onderwerp, kwestie, issue
    Tijdens de vergadering was de recente wateroverlast een van de belangrijkste items.
    During the meeting, the recent flooding was one of the most important items.
  2. item (specific object)
    Ieder item heeft een QR-code die de klant informatie geeft over de fabriek, kostprijs en marges.
    Each item has a QR code that gives the customer information about the factory, cost price and margins.

French

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin item.

Adverb

item

  1. (obsolete) same; in the same way
  2. (obsolete) in addition

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English item.

Noun

item m (plural items)

  1. item (line of text in a grouping, list)
  2. (psychometrics) item (of a questionnaire, test)
  3. (video games) item (collectable object)

Further reading

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Italian

Latin

Middle English

Middle French

Old French

Portuguese

Romanian

Swedish

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