itself

Meanings

1. 1
   pron

   it; A thing as the object of a verb or preposition that also appears as the subject

   When the opportunity presented itself, no feasible course of action suggested itself (to us).

2. 2
   pron

   it; used to intensify the subject, especially to emphasize that it is the only participant in the predicate

   The door itself is quite heavy.

3. 3
   pron

   it; used to refer back to an earlier subject

   The oil by degrees gets covered with a curdy mass, which after some time settles to the bottom, while itself becomes limpid and colorless.

Etymology

From Middle English hit-self, equivalent to it + -self.