Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - self

 I. pronoun  Etymology: Middle English (intensive pronoun), from Old English; akin to Old High German selb, intensive pronoun, and probably to Latin suus one's own — more at suicide  Date: before 12th century my~, him~, her~ a check payable to ~  II. adjective  Date: before 12th century  1. obsolete identical, same  2. obsolete belonging to one~ ; own  3.  a. having a single character or quality throughout; specifically having one color only a ~ flower  b. of the same kind (as in color, material, or pattern) as something with which it is used ~ trimming  III. noun  (plural selves)  Date: 13th century  1.  a. the entire person of an individual  b. the realization or embodiment of an abstraction  2.  a.  (1) an individual's typical character or behavior her true ~ was revealed  (2) an individual's temporary behavior or character his better ~  b. a person in prime condition feel like my old ~ today  3. the union of elements (as body, emotions, thoughts, and sensations) that constitute the individuality and identity of a person  4. personal interest or advantage  5. material that is part of an individual organism ability of the immune system to distinguish ~ from non~  IV. verb  Date: 1905  transitive verb  1. inbreed  2. to pollinate with pollen from the same flower or plant  intransitive verb to undergo ~-pollination