it

Etymology

From Middle English it, hit ( > dialectal English hit (“it”)), from Old English hit (“it”), from Proto-Germanic *hit (“this, this one”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe-, *ḱey- (“this, here”). Cognate with West Frisian it (“it”), Saterland Frisian et, 't (“it”), Low German it (“it”), Dutch het (“it”), German es (“it”), Latin cis, hic. More at he.

pron

1. The third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to an inanimate object, abstract entity, or non-human living thing.
   Take this book and put it on the shelf.
   Take each day as it comes.
   I found a poor little cat. It seems to be half starving.
   It is not a pen. It is a book. Audio (US) (file) 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
   The Nansi District was formerly known as the "Jiaba Community", and was one of the early territories of the Taivoan, as well as where the Zou resided. Later, due to the invasion of the Siraya tribe, the community members later migrated out to regions such as Gongguan, Paoziliao (Kaohsiung County), and Daciouyuan. During the time of the Japanese occupation, because of its location at the west of the "Nanzihsian River", it was therefore renamed Nansi ("si" meaning "west"). A village and village hall were established here, under the governance of Sinhua District of Tainan Province. After the war in 1945, it was renamed Nansi Township, and was changed to Nansi District after the merging of Tainan City and County on December 25th, 2010. 2018-08-06, “Brief Introduction of Nansi”, in Nansi District Office, Tainan City, archived from the original on 2022-02-16
2. A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a baby or child, especially of unknown gender.
   She took the baby and held it in her arms.
   A child cannot quarrel with its elders, as I had done; cannot give its furious feelings uncontrolled play, as I had given mine, without experiencing afterwards the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction. 1847, Charlotte Brontë, chapter IV, in Jane Eyre
   I could only encourage Mrs. Clements to speak next of Anne's early days […] "There was nobody else, sir, to take the little helpless creature in hand," replied Mrs. Clements. "The wicked mother seemed to hate it—as if the poor baby was in fault!—from the day it was born. My heart was heavy for the child, and I made the offer to bring it up as tenderly as if it was my own." "Did Anne remain entirely under your care from that time?" "Not quite entirely, sir. Mrs. Catherick had her whims and fancies about it at times, and used now and then to lay claim to the child, as if she wanted to spite me for bringing it up. 1859, Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White
   The sky was dripping. Like a tap that a child has tried its hardest to turn off but hasn't quite managed. 2005, Marcus Zusak, The Book Thief, part 10
3. (obsolete) An affectionate third-person singular personal pronoun.
   "[…] It's my belief that you don't know your own mind." "I don't, dear," said Hulda, nestling to him. "Why, what a puss it is!" cried Sir Philip, kissing her tenderly. 1890, George Manville Fenn, Black Blood
   1897, Olive Pratt Rayner (Grant Allen), The Type-Writer Girl She caught my eye, and laughed. “What a funny girl it is!” she cried. “You are so comical! But it isn't the least use your trying to frighten me. I can see the twinkle in your big black eyes; and I like you in spite of your trying to be horrid. Do you know, I liked you from the first moment I saw you.”
   WILLIAM: You don't like me better? CLARA: Indeed I do. WILLIAM (laughing): Well, what a dear girl it is. CLARA (flinging her arms around his neck with suddenly disclosed passion): Oh, I do love you! 1905, The Harvard Monthly, volumes 39-40, page 183
4. (chiefly derogatory, offensive) A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to an animate referent who is transgender or is neither female nor male.
   1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure Next morning bought her [a drag queen] breakfast & she asked for a couple dollars to get a drink. Gave her $3, walked her to a bar. […] Some teenage boys watched us walking & began shouting. When I left her at the bar door & kissed her goodbye, they began shouting "Ugh! You kissed it!!"
   "Oh, don't be silly. I am neither male nor female. I'm a farfel." […] "It. Refer to me as an it." "That seems pretty rude," I said nervously. "Not as rude as calling me a he or a she," it said. 1993, Bruce Coville, Aliens Ate My Homework, pages 72–73
5. Used to refer to someone being identified, often on the phone, but not limited to this situation.
   It's me. John.
   Is it her?
   It is I, your king.
6. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent as the subject of an impersonal verb or statement (known as the dummy pronoun, dummy it or weather it).
   It is nearly 10 o’clock.
   It’s 10:45.
   It’s very cold today.
   It’s lonely without you.
7. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent, or with unstated but contextually implied referent, in various short idioms or expressions.
   1. Referring to a desirable quality or ability, or quality of being successful, fashionable or in vogue.
      After all these years, she still has it.
      Later that night, a friend told Brady, “Still got it.” “Never lost it,” he replied. THAT WAS MOSTLY TRUE. But the 2013 season ended with the Patriots coaches wondering whether Brady's skills were in a subtle but irrevocable decline […] 2021, Seth Wickersham, It's Better to Be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness, Liveright Publishing
   2. Referring to sexual intercourse or other sexual activity.
      I caught them doing it.
      Are you getting it regularly?
      Is man really the only animal who does "it" face to face? 1968, Dear Doctor Hip Pocrates; advice your family doctor never gave you, page 5
8. (uncountable) Sex appeal, especially that which goes beyond physical appearance.
   'Tisn't beauty, so to speak, nor good talk necessarily. It's just It. Some women'll stay in a man's memory if they once walked down a street 1904, Rudyard Kipling, Mrs Bathurst
   And she had It. It, hell; she had Those. 1927, Dorothy Parker, (Please provide the book title or journal name)
9. The impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder for a delayed subject, or less commonly, object; known as the dummy pronoun (according to some definitions), anticipatory it or, more formally in linguistics, a syntactic expletive. The delayed subject is commonly a to-infinitive, a gerund, or a noun clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction.
   It is easy to see how she would think that. (with the infinitive clause headed by to see)
   I find it odd that you would say that. (with the noun clause introduced by that)
   It is hard seeing you so sick. (with the gerund seeing)
   He saw to it that everyone would vote for him. (with the noun clause introduced by that)
   It is not clear if the report was true. (with the noun clause introduced by if)
10. All or the end; something after which there is no more.
    Are there more students in this class, or is this it?
    That's it—I'm not going to any more candy stores with you.
11. (obsolete) Followed by an omitted and understood relative pronoun: That which; what.
    In briefe, I am content, and what should providence add more? Surely this is it [= it which] wee call Happinesse, and this doe I enjoy …. 1643, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, II.2

det

1. (obsolete) Its.

noun

1. One who is neither a he nor a she; a creature; a dehumanized being.
   His master glanced up quickly, and removed the letter from his hands. "I'm surprised at you, James," he remarked severely. "A secretary should control itself. Don't forget that the perfect secretary is an it: an automatic machine—a thing incapable of feeling.…" 1920, Herman Cyril McNeile, chapter 1, in Bulldog Drummond
   Too often, children become an "it" in their homes and their humanness is devalued. 1995, Neil Weiner, Sharon E. Robinson Kurpius, Shattered innocence, page 8
2. The person who chases and tries to catch the other players in the playground game of tag.
   In the next game, Adam and Tom will be it…
   When there are only two children left who haven't been tagged, I will stop the game, and we will start over with those children starting as the Its. 2000, Katherine T. Thomas, Amelia M. Lee, Jerry R. Thomas, Physical education for children, page 464
3. (Britain) A game of tag.
   Let's play it at breaktime.
4. (informal) A desirable characteristic, as being fashionable.
   Man, he's really got it.
   She's the it girl, at least for this Fall.
5. (informal) Sexual intercourse.
   OMG, they were doing it in storage room.
6. (informal) Sex appeal.
   She really has it going on.
7. Alternative letter-case form of It (“force in the vitalist approach of Georg Groddeck”)
   For Groddeck, the it is given, unknowable, and he does not try to conceptualize drives or forces. Early life and sexuality permeate […] 1988, Frederic D. Homer, The Interpretation of Illness, Purdue University Press, page 27
8. Alternative letter-case form of It (“the id”)
   […] thus reversing the roles of the I and the it, the former now occupying the place of the latter and vice versa. An awareness of our bisubjective nature (it and me) requires thus an I as a third term that slides between […] 2015, Charis Charalampous, Rethinking the Mind-Body Relationship in Early Modern Literature, Philosophy, and Medicine: The Renaissance of the Body, Routledge, page 36

adj

1. (colloquial) Most fashionable, popular, or in vogue.
   Going away for the weekend and feel the need to profile en route? This is the "it" bag. 2007 September, Vibe, volume 15, number 9, page 202
   With Hit Girl, Moretz is this year's It Girl, alternately sweet, savage and scary. 2010, David Germain, Hilarious ‘Kick-Ass’ delivers bloody fun, Associated Press
   These Italian made sneakers quickly became an it shoe and the trend is not going anywhere any time soon! 2021-10-04, Robert P, “Are Golden Goose Sneakers Worth It? My Honest Review Of Golden Goose Sneakers”, in Gold Talk Club