i ‧ tem S3 W2 AC /ˈaɪtəm/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ itemize ; noun : ↑ item ; adjective : itemized]
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ itemize ; noun : ↑ item ]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: 'in the same way, also' (used to introduce things in a list), from ita 'in this way' ]
1 . [countable] a single thing, especially one thing in a list, group, or set of things:
He opened the cardboard box and took out each item.
The store is having a sale on furniture and household items.
item on the agenda/list/menu
We went on to the next item on the agenda.
item of clothing/furniture/jewellery etc (=a single piece of clothing, furniture, jewellery etc)
luxury items such as exotic spices and perfumes
The original 1965 bottle is now a collector’s item (=one of a set of objects people like to collect because they are interesting or valuable) .
2 . [countable] a single, usually short, piece of news in a newspaper or magazine, or on television:
I also saw that news item in the Sunday Times.
3 . be an item informal if two people are an item, they are having a romantic or sexual relationship
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1 )
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + item
▪ a particular item
A local authority can decide whether a particular item of expenditure should be cut.
▪ a single/individual item
This is the largest amount ever paid for a single item of jewellery.
▪ an essential/important item
Salt was an important item in the Roman economy.
▪ a household item
The shop stocks a wide variety of household items.
▪ a consumer item
Import controls have been lifted on hundreds of consumer items.
▪ a luxury item
Tea and coffee, once luxury items, became standard drinks for every social class.
▪ a collector’s item (=something a collector would want to own because it is interesting or valuable)
This record is so rare that it has become a collector’s item.
▪ stolen items
The police have recovered most of the stolen items.
▪ the offending item (=something that is causing a problem – often used humorously)
Replacement of the offending item should solve the problem.
▪ miscellaneous items (=of lots of different types)
The cardboard box contained a number of miscellaneous items.
■ phrases
▪ an item of clothing
She’d bought a few items of clothing for her trip.
▪ an item of jewellery British English , an item of jewelry American English
Expensive items of jewellery should be insured.
▪ an item of furniture
A few items of furniture had not yet been delivered.
▪ an item of food/a food item
Ice cream was probably her favourite item of food.
▪ an item of vocabulary/a vocabulary item (=a word or expression)
Students are encouraged to write down useful vocabulary items in their notebooks.
▪ an item on the agenda/list/menu
The next item on the agenda is next month’s sales conference.
▪ a range of items (=different types of items)
Clay was used to make an impressive range of items.
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THESAURUS
▪ thing used when you do not need to say the name, or when you do not know the name:
What’s that thing on the kitchen table?
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Have you got all your things?
▪ something a thing – used when you are not sure what the thing is:
There’s something on your shirt.
▪ object especially written a solid thing:
a sharp metal object
▪ item formal a particular kind of thing, or one of a group of things:
household items
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a luxury item
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an item of equipment
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The items included pieces of old pottery.
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You are not allowed to take sharp items onto the plane.
▪ article formal a particular kind of thing, or one of a group of things. Article is very formal, and is used especially in the phrase an article of clothing :
They found several articles of clothing in the bushes.
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suspicious articles
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Each article has a card with it giving more information.
▪ artifact ( also artefact ) formal an object that someone has made, especially one that is very old and has historical value:
The museum has a collection of early Roman artifacts.
▪ thingy ( also thingamajig/thingamabob ) spoken informal a thing – used especially when you cannot remember the name of the thing, but often the other person knows what you are talking about:
Can you pass me the thingy?