a. & pron. [ OE. either, aither, AS. &aemacr_;gðer, &aemacr_;ghwæðer (akin to OHG. ēogiwedar, MHG. iegeweder); ā + ge + hwæðer 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lepidus flatters both,
Of both is flattered; but he neither loves,
Nor either cares for him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Scarce a palm of ground could be gotten by either of the three. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

There have been three talkers in Great British, either of whom would illustrate what I say about dogmatists. Holmes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Each of two; the one and the other; both; -- formerly, also, each of any number. [ 1913 Webster ]

His flowing hair
In curls on either cheek played. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

On either side . . . was there the tree of life. Rev. xxii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

The extreme right and left of either army never engaged. Jowett (Thucyd). [ 1913 Webster ]

conj. Either precedes two, or more, coördinate words or phrases, and is introductory to an alternative. It is correlative to or. [ 1913 Webster ]

Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth. 1 Kings xviii. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Either was formerly sometimes used without any correlation, and where we should now use or. [ 1913 Webster ]

Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? James iii. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]