Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- In one case; according to one choice or supposition (in a series of two or more): a disjunctive conjunction, preceding one of a series of two or more alternative clauses, and correlative with or before the following clause or clauses. Sometimes, as in poetry, or is used before the first clause also.
- In any case; at all: used adverbially, for emphasis, after a sentence expressing a negation of one or two alternatives, or of all alternatives: corresponding to too similarly used after affirmative sentences: as, he tried it, and didn't succeed; then I tried it, but I didn't succeed, either. That's mine; no, it isn't, either.
- Being one or the other of two, taken indifferently or as the case requires: referring to two units or particulars of a class: as, it can be done in either way; take either apple; the boat will land on either side.
- Being one and the other of two; being both of two, or each of two taken together but viewed separately: as, they took seats on either side.
- [In this use, each or both, according to construction, is nearly if not quite always to be preferred. Properly, either refers indefinitely to one or the other of two (and often in actual use, though less accurately, to some one of any number); each, definitely to every one of two or any larger number considered individually: a distinctness of signification which ought to be maintained, since interchange of the words (less practised by careful writers now than formerly) offers no advantage, but may create ambiguity. Both, two together, one and the other taken jointly, should be preferred when this is the specific sense; but both and each may often be interchanged. Thus, the camp may be pitched on either side of the stream (on one or the other side indifferently); there were two camps, one on each side; the camp was pitched on both sides (one camp, divided); there are fine buildings on both sides of the street, or on each side, but not on either side.]
- One or the other; one of two, taken indifferently.
- Each of two; the one and the other.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective One of two; the one or the other; -- properly used of two things, but sometimes of a larger number, for
any one . - adjective Each of two; the one and the other; both; -- formerly, also, each of any number.
- conjunction Either precedes two, or more, coördinate words or phrases, and is introductory to an alternative. It is correlative to
or .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- pronoun obsolete
Both , each of two (people or things). - pronoun One or other of two people or things.
- adverb conjunctive, after a negative as well
- conjunction Introduces the first of two options, the second of which is introduced by "
or ".
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adverb after a negative statement used as an intensive meaning something like `likewise' or `also'
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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In either case the owner will really pay annually only upon the land value, not upon the growth; the only difference being that under the proposed system he would not be asked to, while under the present system _either there will be no growth to tax, or, if there is, he cannot afford to pay and the land will revert_.
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Only cards in the highest or lowest rows are available, until a card from any other row is released, by the removal of cards either above or below it, the principle being that no card can be used that is not free _either_ from the top or the bottom.
Lady Cadogan's Illustrated Games of Solitaire or Patience New Revised Edition, including American Games Adelaide Cadogan
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-- "He is either the most distressed man, or the best actor, I ever saw in my life," replied the comedian: "and, as _either one or the other, he has a brotherly claim upon me_."
The Jest Book The Choicest Anecdotes and Sayings Mark Lemon 1839
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a thousand years since_: neither am I moved with certain courtly decencies, which I esteem it flattery to praise in presence; no, it is flattery to _praise in absence: that is_, when _either_ the virtue is absent, _or -- the occasion_ is absent, and so the praise is _not natural_, but _forced_, either in truth, _or -- in time_.
The Philosophy of the Plays of Shakspere Unfolded Delia Bacon 1835
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If the Dems gain ground but don’t take either house, can *either* party really claim victory?
Firedoglake » Late Nite FDL: Krugman Completes Daou Triangle 2006
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The Leafs, with assistant GM Claude Loiselle in charge of the negotiation, probably want a salary that starts in the $2.5 million to $3 million range, with the term either three years - one short of Schenn's unrestricted season - or five years, which means the club would effectively be buying one year of that UFA status.
Thestar.com - Home Page Damien Cox 2011
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Standard format for a synopsis dictates that the title either all in caps or bolded is centered at the top of the first page of the synopsis, with “Synopsis” on the line below it.
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Standard format for a synopsis dictates that the title either all in caps or bolded is centered at the top of the first page of the synopsis, with “Synopsis” on the line below it.
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On the others (dies or rendered inapable), "what if" however, Mr. Medvedev met an unexpected and unfortunatedemise during his term either from natural causes or possibly as the recent horrific case with Ms. Bhutto brought reality home to all, not from natural causes.
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I didn't get the title either, and I swear I have Goodnight Moon memorized from reading it aloud over and over and over to my kids.
Review: Goodnight Nobody tinylittlelibrarian 2007
moore4th commented on the word either
Should I do this or this? Daniel
February 15, 2007
moore4th commented on the word either
I either want to go to the mall or have someone do my nails.
February 15, 2007
whichbe commented on the word either
A contranym: as an adjective, it can mean "one or the other of two," as in "you either passed or failed your test". It can also mean "each of two; the one and the other" as in "there are trees on either side of the river." (Wikipedia)
June 7, 2008