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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Either \Ei"ther\ ([=e]"[th][~e]r or [imac]"[th][~e]r; 277), a. &
pron. [OE. either, aither, AS. [=ae]g[eth]er,
[=ae]ghw[ae][eth]er (akin to OHG. [=e]ogiwedar, MHG.
iegeweder); [=a] ge hw[ae][eth]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.
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Lepidus flatters both,
Of both is flattered; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him. --Shak.
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Scarce a palm of ground could be gotten by either of
the three. --Bacon.
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There have been three talkers in Great British,
either of whom would illustrate what I say about
dogmatists. --Holmes.
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2. Each of two; the one and the other; both; -- formerly,
also, each of any number.
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His flowing hair
In curls on either cheek played. --Milton.
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On either side . . . was there the tree of life.
--Rev. xxii.
2.
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The extreme right and left of either army never
engaged. --Jowett
(Thucyd).
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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.
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Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a
journey, or peradventure he sleepeth. --1 Kings
xviii. 27.
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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.
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Note: Either was formerly sometimes used without any
correlation, and where we should now use or.
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Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive
berries? either a vine, figs? --James iii.
12.
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