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2169 entries found
Italy 
from Latin Italia, from Greek Italia; of unknown origin. Perhaps an alteration of Oscan Viteliu "Italy," but meaning originally only the southwestern point of the peninsula. Traditionally said to be from Vitali, name of a tribe that settled in Calabria, whose name is perhaps somehow connected with Latin vitulus "calf." Or perhaps the country name is directly from vitulus as "land of cattle," or it might be from an Illyrian word, or an ancient or legendary ruler Italus. The modern nation dates from events of 1859-60 and was completed by the addition of Venetia in 1866 and Rome in 1870.
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itch (n.)
"irritating tingling sensation in the skin," also "skin inflammation caused by a burrowing mite," Old English gicce, from giccan (v.) "to itch" (see itch (v.)). Sense of "restless desire" is first attested 1530s; itching in this sense is from mid-14c.
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itch (v.)
Middle English icchen, from Old English giccan "to itch," from West Germanic *jukkjan (source also of Middle Dutch jöken "to itch," Old High German jucchen, German jucken). Figurative sense of "feel a provoking desire to do or get something" is from early 13c. Related: Itched; itching.
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itchy (adj.)
Old English giccig; see itch + -y (2). Figurative itchy palm is attested by 1599 (Jonson; Shakespeare has itching palm in the same sense, 1601). Other figurative uses include itching ears "a hankering for gossip," itching elbows "a passion for gambling." Related: Itchiness.
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item (n.)
late 14c., originally an adverb, "moreover, in addition," from Latin item (adv.) "likewise, just so, moreover," probably from ita "thus," id "it" (see id) + adverbial ending -tem (compare idem "the same").

The Latin adverb was used to introduce a new fact or statement, and in French and English it was used before every article in an enumeration (such as an inventory or bill). This practice led to the noun sense "an article of any kind" (1570s). Meaning "detail of information" (especially in a newspaper) is from 1819; item "sexually linked unmarried couple" is 1970, probably from notion of being an item in the gossip columns.
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itemize (v.)

"state by items, give the particulars of," 1833 (implied in itemized), American English, from item + -ize. Related: Itemizing. An earlier verb was item "make a note of" (c. 1600).

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iterate (v.)
1530s, "to do again, repeat," back-formation from iteration, or else from Latin iteratus, past participle of iterare "do again, repeat." Related: Iterated; iterating.
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iteration (n.)

"a saying or doing again, or over and over again; repeated utterance or occurrence," late 15c., from Latin iterationem (nominative iteratio) "a repetition," noun of action from past-participle stem of iterare "do again, repeat," from iterum "again," from PIE *i-tero-, from pronominal root *i- (see yon).

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iterative (adj.)
"involving repetition," late 15c., from French iteratif (c. 1400), from Late Latin iterativus, from iterat-, past participle stem of Latin iterare "do again, repeat" (see iteration). As a noun, "an iterative word," by 1839. Related: Iteratively.
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Ithaca 
western Greek Island, legendary home of Odysseus; the first element is perhaps Phoenician i "island;" the rest is unknown. Related: Ithacan.
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