Adjacent Words

Either definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

E'ITHER, a. or pron.
1. One or another of any number. Here are ten oranges; take either orange of the whole number, or take either of them. In the last phrase, either stands as a pronoun or substitute.
2. One of two. This sense is included in the foregoing.
Lepidus flatters both,
Of both is flattered; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him.
3. Each; every one separately considered.
On either side of the river. Revelation 22.
4. This word, when applied to sentences or propositions, is called a distributive or a conjunction. It precedes the first of two or more alternatives, and is answered by or before the second, or succeeding alternatives.
Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleepeth. l Kings 18.
In this sentence, either refers to each of the succeeding clauses of the sentence.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adv
1: after a negative statement used as an intensive meaning something like `likewise' or `also'; "he isn't stupid, but he isn't exactly a genius either"; "I don't know either"; "if you don't order dessert I won't either"

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ?ghwæther both, each, from ? always + ge-, collective prefix + hwæther which of two, whether — more at aye, co- Date: before 12th century 1. being the one and the other of two ; each <flowers blooming on either side of the walk> <plays either instrument well> 2. being the one or the other of two <take either road> II. pronoun Date: before 12th century the one or the other <take either of the two routes> III. conjunction Date: before 12th century — used as a function word before two or more coordinate words, phrases, or clauses joined usually by or to indicate that what immediately follows is the first of two or more alternatives <can be used either as a guest room or as an office> IV. adverb Date: 15th century 1. likewise, moreover — used for emphasis after a negative <not smart or handsome either> 2. for that matter — used for emphasis after an alternative following a question or conditional clause especially where negation is implied <who answers for the Irish parliament? or army either? — Robert Browning>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., pron., adv., & conj. --adj. & pron. 1 one or the other of two (either of you can go; you may have either book). 2 each of two (houses on either side of the road; either will do). --adv. & conj. 1 as one possibility (is either black or white). 2 as one choice or alternative; which way you will (either come in or go out). 3 (with neg. or interrog.) a any more than the other (I didn't like it either; if you do not go, I shall not either). b moreover (there is no time to lose, either). Phrases and idioms: either-or n. an unavoidable choice between alternatives. --adj. involving such a choice. either way in either case or event. Etymology: OE ægther f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Either Ei"ther (?; 277), a. & pron. [OE. either, aither, AS. ?g?er, ?ghw[ae]?er (akin to OHG. ?ogiwedar, MHG. iegeweder); [=a] + ge + hw[ae]?er whether. See Each, and Whether, and cf. Or, conj.] 1. One of two; the one or the other; -- properly used of two things, but sometimes of a larger number, for any one. Lepidus flatters both, Of both is flattered; but he neither loves, Nor either cares for him. --Shak. Scarce a palm of ground could be gotten by either of the three. --Bacon. There have been three talkers in Great British, either of whom would illustrate what I say about dogmatists. --Holmes. 2. Each of two; the one and the other; both; -- formerly, also, each of any number. His flowing hair In curls on either cheek played. --Milton. On either side . . . was there the tree of life. --Rev. xxii. 2. The extreme right and left of either army never engaged. --Jowett (Thucyd).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Either Ei"ther, conj. Either precedes two, or more, co["o]rdinate words or phrases, and is introductory to an alternative. It is correlative to or. Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth. --1 Kings xviii. 27. Few writers hesitate to use either in what is called a triple alternative; such as, We must either stay where we are, proceed, or recede. --Latham. Note: Either was formerly sometimes used without any correlation, and where we should now use or. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs?? --James iii. 12.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use either in front of the first of two or more alternatives, when you are stating the only possibilities or choices that there are. The other alternatives are introduced by 'or'. Sightseeing is best done either by tour bus or by bicycles... The former President was demanding that he should be either put on trial or set free... Either she goes or I go. CONJ 2. You use either in a negative statement in front of the first of two alternatives to indicate that the negative statement refers to both the alternatives. There had been no indication of either breathlessness or any loss of mental faculties right until his death. CONJ 3. You can use either to refer to one of two things, people, or situations, when you want to say that they are both possible and it does not matter which one is chosen or considered. There were glasses of champagne and cigars, but not many of either were consumed... PRON • Either is also a quantifier. Do either of you smoke or drink heavily? QUANT: QUANT of def-pl-n • Either is also a determiner. I don't particularly agree with either group. DET: DET sing-n 4. You use either in a negative statement to refer to each of two things, people, or situations to indicate that the negative statement includes both of them. She warned me that I'd never marry or have children.—'I don't want either.' PRON: with brd-neg • Either is also a quantifier. There are no simple answers to either of those questions. QUANT • Either is also a determiner. He sometimes couldn't remember either man's name. DET 5. You use either by itself in negative statements to indicate that there is a similarity or connection with a person or thing that you have just mentioned. He did not even say anything to her, and she did not speak to him either... ADV: ADV after v, with brd-neg 6. When one negative statement follows another, you can use either at the end of the second one to indicate that you are adding an extra piece of information, and to emphasize that both are equally important. Don't agree, but don't argue either... ADV: ADV after v 7. You can use either to introduce a noun that refers to each of two things when you are talking about both of them. The basketball nets hung down from the ceiling at either end of the gymnasium... DET: DET sing-n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e'-ther, i'-ther:

Often in the sense still common, "one or the other" (1Ch 21:21; Mt 6:24, etc.), but also in the obsolete sense of "both" or "each" (Le 10:1; 1Ki 7:15; Joh 19:18; Re 22:2), or in place of (Revised Version) "or" (Lu 6:42; 15:8; Php 3:12; Jas 3:12).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a., pron. 1. (Properly.) One or the other (of two). 2. (Less authorized.) Any one (of several). 3. [Archaic or poetical.] Each (of two), both, one and the other.

Moby Thesaurus

a certain, a deux, an, any, any one, anybody, anyone, anything, atomic, aught, both, correspondingly, exclusive, for two, identically, in kind, in like manner, in that way, individual, indivisible, integral, irreducible, like, like that, like this, likewise, lone, monadic, monistic, one, similarly, simple, single, singular, so, sole, solid, solitary, tete-a-tete, the two, thus, unanalyzable, undivided, uniform, unique, unitary, whole