\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).

\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.