item

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".

noun

1. A distinct physical object.
   Tweezers are great for manipulating small items.
   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. 2013-07-26, Nick Miroff, “Mexico gets a taste for eating insects […]”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 32
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.
   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. 2001, David L. Lieber, Jules Harlow, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, page 1143
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.
   Are we an item? Girl, quit playin' / "We're just friends," what are you sayin'? 2010, Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris, Baby
7. A short article in a newspaper.
   an item concerning the weather
8. (obsolete) A hint; an innuendo.
9. (India) Short for item girl.
   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. 2017, Nandita Chaudhary, Pernille Hviid, Giuseppina Marsico, Resistance in Everyday Life: Constructing Cultural Experiences, page 246

verb

1. (transitive) To make a note of.

adv

1. likewise