either

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   after a negative statement, used as an intensive meaning something like 'also'

   I am not stupid, but I'm not a genius either.

2. 2
   det

   Any one (of two).

   You can have it in either colour.

3. 3
   det

   Each of two; both.

   There is a locomotive at either end of the train, one pulling and the other pushing.

4. 4
   det

   Any one (of more than two).

   I hope you will be ready to own publicly, whenever you shall be called to it, that by your great and frequent urgency you prevailed on me to publish a very loose and uncorrect account of my travels, with directions to hire some young gentleman of either university to put them in order, and correct the style, as my cousin Dampier did, by my advice, in his book called “A Voyage round the world.”

5. 5
   pron

   One or the other of two people or things.

   He made me two offers, but I did not accept either.

6. 6
   pron

   Both, each of two or more.

   Scarce a palm of ground could be gotten by either of the three.

7. 7
   adv

   As well.

   I don't like him, and I don't like her either.

8. 8
   conj

   Introduces the first of two (or occasionally more) options or possibilities, the second (or last) of which is introduced by “or”.

   Either you eat your dinner or you go to your room.

Etymology

From Middle English either, from Old English ǣġhwæþer, from Proto-West Germanic *aiw + *gahwaþar. Akin to Old Saxon eogihwethar, iahwethar (Low German jeed); Old Dutch *iogewether, *iowether, *iother (Dutch ieder); Old High German eogihwedar, iegihweder, ieweder (German jeder). The pronunciations with /iː/ and /eɪ/ respectively reflect Middle English forms in /ɛː/ and /æi/; the origin of that with /aɪ/ is less clear, but it may reflect a Middle English form with /iː/; see Middle English either for more discussion.