From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishitemi‧tem /ˈaɪtəm/ ●●● S3 W2 AWL noun 1 [countable]THING a single thing, especially one thing in a list, group, or set of things He opened the cardboard box and took out each item. The store is having a sale on furniture and household items.item on the agenda/list/menu We went on to the next item on the agenda.item of clothing/furniture/jewellery etc (=a single piece of clothing, furniture, jewellery etc) luxury items such as exotic spices and perfumes The original 1965 bottle is now a collector’s item (=one of a set of objects people like to collect because they are interesting or valuable).► see thesaurus at thing2 [countable]REPORT a single, usually short, piece of news in a newspaper or magazine, or on television I also saw that news item in the Sunday Times.3 → be an itemCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1 : a single thing, especially one thing in a list, group, or set of thingsADJECTIVES/NOUN + item a particular itemA local authority can decide whether a particular item of expenditure should be cut.a single/individual itemThis is the largest amount ever paid for a single item of jewellery.an essential/important itemSalt was an important item in the Roman economy.a household itemThe shop stocks a wide variety of household items.a consumer itemImport controls have been lifted on hundreds of consumer items.a luxury itemTea and coffee, once luxury items, became standard drinks for every social class.a collector’s item (=something a collector would want to own because it is interesting or valuable)This record is so rare that it has become a collector’s item.stolen itemsThe police have recovered most of the stolen items.the offending item (=something that is causing a problem – often used humorously)Replacement of the offending item should solve the problem.miscellaneous items (=of lots of different types)The cardboard box contained a number of miscellaneous items.phrasesan item of clothingShe’d bought a few items of clothing for her trip.an item of jewellery British English, an item of jewelry American EnglishExpensive items of jewellery should be insured.an item of furnitureA few items of furniture had not yet been delivered.an item of food/a food itemIce cream was probably her favourite item of food.an item of vocabulary/a vocabulary item (=a word or expression)Students are encouraged to write down useful vocabulary items in their notebooks.an item on the agenda/list/menuThe next item on the agenda is next month’s sales conference.a range of items (=different types of items)Clay was used to make an impressive range of items.
Examples from the Corpus
item• The museum has over 5,000 items of historical interest.• There's an item about the robbery on page seven.• an item of clothing• The line at the checkout was for people with eight items or fewer.• Bring any old household items for the sale.• A comfortable, adjustable chair is the single most important item for the health of a computer user.• As new inventory items are received, new loans are created.• Many of the things that people in the West take for granted are considered to be luxury items here.• The main item of jewellery worn by men, other than a watch, is cuff links.• Irene read quickly over the short news item.• The news item announcing the verdict was much smaller than the item that announced his arrest.• We moved on to the next item on the agenda.• The next item will be of special interest to viewers who are dog-owners.• Each user can hold many paths each of which holds many path items.• My aunt discovered that her old doll was a collector's item and worth a lot of money.• In some cases, lots are made up of hundreds or even thousands of copies of the same item.• I turned the page, and saw a small item about Muhammad Ali.• Anyway, he saw him again in the office at Al-Liwa just before the item appeared.collector’s item• Levy, 46, readily concedes that the road map is an odd choice as a collector's item.• The bottle - a limited edition which should become a collector's item - is only available through an exchange offer.• He is a collector's item as full of hot air as he is of magical ideas.• All this I learn from the official match programme, price sixpence and now something of a collector's item.• MacLane was smiling, and that was a collector's item.• Eagle Annuals and Dinky Toys, both of which had now become collector's items.• Reader H. R. Vaughan-Williams sent us this collector's item, which is probably prewar.news item• A stage in search of actors would be a news item any local paper would be keen to carry.• They saw a news item about the deaths on television and advised Gore to give himself up to police.• Yet behind the positive news items were reports that showed racial violence had hardly disappeared.• Let's take the recording task described earlier: to prepare news items for a magazine programme or news broadcast.• David notes that it is interesting that currency flying on the Vulcan - see news item - has been maintained.• Already, then, before a single news item is introduced, a great deal has been communicated.• The ebb and flow of controversy in television news items did not produce corresponding trends in public interest and discussion.• We pray for Your world and think of the news items that have been headlines in the last few days.From Longman Business Dictionaryitemi‧tem /ˈaɪtəm/ noun [countable]1a single thing, especially something that is for saleThe CD used to be considered a luxury item.stores selling non-food items2ACCOUNTING a piece of information written in a set of accountsCarry costs can include such items as insurance and storage.3one of the subjects that is to be discussed in a meeting, written on a list called an AGENDAWhat’s the first item on the agenda?Origin item (1500-1600) Latin “in the same way, also” (used to introduce things in a list), from ita “in this way” 