3 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
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).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
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.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
either
adv : 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"