I. ˈēthə(r), sometimes ˈīth-; Eng & Wales ˈīth-; Ireland & Scot ˈāth- adjective
Etymology: Middle English either, aither, adjective & pron., from Old English ǣghwæther, ǣgther both, each (akin to Old High German iogihwedar each of two), from ā always + ge-, collective prefix + hwæther which of two, whether — more at aye , co- , whether
1. : the one and the other of the two : each
flowers blooming on either side of the walk
2. : the one or the other of the two
use either foot, no matter which
you may take either fork of the road
II. pronoun
Etymology: Middle English either, aither
1. archaic
a. : each of two or more
at either of the three corners is an exquisite … bust — W.D.Howells
b. : each other
as two yoke devils sworn to either ' s purpose — Shakespeare
2. : one of two or more: as
a. : the one or the other
take either of the two routes
b. : any one (of more than two)
three famous talkers … either of whom would illustrate what I say — O.W.Holmes †1935
— usually sing. in constr. except when a plural (usually after of ) intervenes between either and the verb form in which circumstance the verb is often plural in form
of the two forms of address either is appropriate to the situation
either of them is satisfactory
either of them are satisfactory
III. conjunction
Etymology: Middle English either, aither, from Old English ǣghwæther (ge), ǣgther (ge) both, from ǣghwæther, ǣgther, pron.
1. — 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 that are equally applicable
that voice, which could be used either as a glaive or as an organ stop — Victoria Sackville-West
the man did not kill himself either physically or spiritually — E.C.Wagenknecht
unready, either politically, economically, or militarily — H.E.Gaston
or mutually exclusive
the statement as originally worded must be either true or false
the population will either die, migrate, or plunge into economic chaos — Herbert Hoover
2. obsolete : or
IV. adverb
Etymology: Middle English either, aither, from either, aither, adjective, pron., & conjunction
1. : at all : likewise , moreover — used for emphasis after a negative
they are the best available and are not expensive either
especially one contradicting a previous affirmation
it's raining. It isn't either
or agreeing with a previous negative statement
I didn't see it. Nor I either
or supplementing one
you'll not go far in life and you won't be happy either — W.J.Reilly
— compare too
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
if his father had come or his mother either all would have gone well