Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Self \Self\, n.; pl. {Selves}.
   1. The individual as the object of his own reflective
      consciousness; the man viewed by his own cognition as the
      subject of all his mental phenomena, the agent in his own
      activities, the subject of his own feelings, and the
      possessor of capacities and character; a person as a
      distinct individual; a being regarded as having
      personality. ``Those who liked their real selves.''
      --Addison.

            A man's self may be the worst fellow to converse
            with in the world.                    --Pope.

            The self, the I, is recognized in every act of
            intelligence as the subject to which that act
            belongs. It is I that perceive, I that imagine, I
            that remember, I that attend, I that compare, I that
            feel, I that will, I that am conscious. --Sir W.
                                                  Hamilton.

   2. Hence, personal interest, or love of private interest;
      selfishness; as, self is his whole aim.

   3. Personification; embodiment. [Poetic.]

            She was beauty's self.                --Thomson.

   Note: Self is united to certain personal pronouns and
         pronominal adjectives to express emphasis or
         distinction. Thus, for emphasis; I myself will write; I
         will examine for myself; thou thyself shalt go; thou
         shalt see for thyself; you yourself shall write; you
         shall see for yourself; he himself shall write; he
         shall examine for himself; she herself shall write; she
         shall examine for herself; the child itself shall be
         carried; it shall be present itself. It is also used
         reflexively; as, I abhor myself; thou enrichest
         thyself; he loves himself; she admires herself; it
         pleases itself; we walue ourselves; ye hurry
         yourselves; they see themselves. Himself, herself,
         themselves, are used in the nominative case, as well as
         in the objective. ``Jesus himself baptized not, but his
         disciples.'' --John iv. 2.

   Note: self is used in the formation of innumerable compounds,
         usually of obvious signification, in most of which it
         denotes either the agent or the object of the action
         expressed by the word with which it is joined, or the
         person in behalf of whom it is performed, or the person
         or thing to, for, or towards whom or which a quality,
         attribute, or feeling expressed by the following word
         belongs, is directed, or is exerted, or from which it
         proceeds; or it denotes the subject of, or object
         affected by, such action, quality, attribute, feeling,
         or the like; as, self-abandoning, self-abnegation,
         self-abhorring, self-absorbed, self-accusing,
         self-adjusting, self-balanced, self-boasting,
         self-canceled, self-combating, self-commendation,
         self-condemned, self-conflict, self-conquest,
         self-constituted, self-consumed, self-contempt,
         self-controlled, self-deceiving, self-denying,
         self-destroyed, self-disclosure, self-display,
         self-dominion, self-doomed, self-elected, self-evolved,
         self-exalting, self-excusing, self-exile, self-fed,
         self-fulfillment, self-governed, self-harming,
         self-helpless, self-humiliation, self-idolized,
         self-inflicted, self-improvement, self-instruction,
         self-invited, self-judging, self-justification,
         self-loathing, self-loving, self-maintenance,
         self-mastered, self-nourishment, self-perfect,
         self-perpetuation, self-pleasing, self-praising,
         self-preserving, self-questioned, self-relying,
         self-restraining, self-revelation, self-ruined,
         self-satisfaction, self-support, self-sustained,
         self-sustaining, self-tormenting, self-troubling,
         self-trust, self-tuition, self-upbraiding,
         self-valuing, self-worshiping, and many others.

Selves \Selves\, n.,
   pl. of {Self}.

Source : WordNet®

self
     adj 1: combining form; oneself or itself; "self-control"
     2: used as a combining form; relating to--of or by or to or
        from or for--the self; "self-knowledge";
        "self-proclaimed"; "self-induced"
     [also: {selves} (pl)]

self
     n 1: your consciousness of your own identity [syn: {ego}]
     2: a person considered as a unique individual; "one's own self"
     [also: {selves} (pl)]

selves
     See {self}