in either or both
1either — ei|ther1 W1S1 [ˈaıðə US ˈi:ðər] conj either ... or a) used to begin a list of two or more possibilities ▪ You add either one or two cloves of garlic. ▪ She s the kind of person you either love or hate. see usage note ↑also b) used to say that if… …
2both — Three small problems to note: 1. Both should not be used to describe more than two things. Partridge cites a passage in which a woman is said to have a shrewd common sense... both in speech, deed and dress. Delete both. 2. Sometimes it… …
3both — Three small problems to note: 1. Both should not be used to describe more than two things. Partridge cites a passage in which a woman is said to have a shrewd common sense . . . both in speech, deed, and dress. Delete both. 2. Sometimes… …
4Either — 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},… …
5either... or, neither... nor — Either means one of two ; neither means not one of two. Or goes with either, nor with neither: Either Sarah or I will go, but neither Bill nor Jane will. When used alone, both either and neither take verbs in the singular: Either is ready to go… …
6both — 1. general. Both, when modifying a single item, refers to two things or persons (both houses / both women); when, as both…and…, it couples two items, each of these may be singular (both the woman and the man) or plural (both the women and the… …
7either — Either suggests a duality and is almost always better avoided when the context involves quantities of more than two, as in Decisions on Mansfield’s economy are now made in either Detroit, Pittsburgh, or New York. Often in such constructions,… …
8Both — Both, a. or pron. [OE. bothe, ba?e, fr. Icel. b[=a]?ir; akin to Dan. baade, Sw. b[*a]da, Goth. baj??s, OHG. beid?, b?d?, G. & D. beide, also AS. begen, b[=a], b?, Goth. bai, and Gr. ?, L. ambo, Lith. ab[ a], OSlav. oba, Skr. ubha. [root]310. Cf.… …
9either way — In both of two cases • • • Main Entry: ↑either * * * whichever of two given alternatives is the case I m not sure whether he is trying to be clever or controversial, but either way, such writing smacks of racism * * * either way | one way or the… …
10either ... or vs neither ... nor — either .. or is a construction we use to show there is a choice between two different things, but you can only choose one, not both. For example: You can have either beer or wine. You can use either ... or to give someone an ultimatum.… …