it
1[ it ]
/ ɪt /
pronoun, nominative it, possessive its or (Obsolete or Dialect) it, objective it; plural nominative they, possessive their or theirs, objective them.
noun
(in children's games) the player called upon to perform some task, as, in tag, the one who must catch the other players.
Slang.
- sex appeal.
- sexual intercourse.
Words nearby it
Idioms for it
Origin of it
1usage note for it
See me.
Definition for it (2 of 6)
it2
[ it ]
/ ɪt /
noun British Informal.
sweet vermouth: gin and it.
Origin of it
21930–35; It(alian vermouth)
Definition for it (3 of 6)
Definition for it (4 of 6)
Definition for it (5 of 6)
Definition for it (6 of 6)
it's
[ its ]
/ ɪts /
contraction of it is: It's starting to rain.
contraction of it has: It's been a long time.
usage note for it's
See contraction.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for it (1 of 5)
it1
/ (ɪt) /
pronoun (subjective or objective)
noun
Word Origin for it
Old English hit
British Dictionary definitions for it (2 of 5)
it2
the internet domain name for
Italy
British Dictionary definitions for it (3 of 5)
IT
abbreviation for
information technology
British Dictionary definitions for it (4 of 5)
It.
abbreviation for
Italian
Italy
British Dictionary definitions for it (5 of 5)
it's
/ (ɪts) /
contraction of
it is or it has
usage for it's
One of the commonest mistakes made in written English is the confusion of its and it's . You can see examples of this every day in books, magazines, and newspapers: its good for us; a smart case with it's own mirror, and even Cheng, and its' subsidiaries . Its refers to something belonging to or relating to a thing that has already been mentioned: the baby threw its rattle out of the pram . It's is a shortened way of saying it is or it has (the apostrophe indicates that a letter has been omitted: it's a lovely day; it's been a great weekend .
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with it
it
In addition to the idioms beginning with it
- it figures
- it never rains but it pours
- it stands to reason
- it takes all sorts
- it takes getting used to
- it takes one to know one
- it takes two to tango
also see:
- that does it
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.