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Either vs Dither - What's the difference?

either | dither |

In obsolete terms the difference between either and dither

is that either is both, each of two or more while dither is to tremble, shake, or shiver with cold.

As a determiner either

is each of two.

As a pronoun either

is both, each of two or more.

As an adverb either

is as well.

As a conjunction either

is introduces the first of two options, the second of which is introduced by "or".

As a noun dither is

the state of being undecided.

As a verb dither is

to tremble, shake, or shiver with cold.

either

English

Usage notes

In the UK the first pronunciation is generally used more in southern England, while the latter is more usual in northern England. However, this is an oversimplification, and the pronunciation used varies by individual speaker and sometimes by situation. The second pronunciation is the most common in the United States.

Determiner

(en determiner)
  • Each of two.
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
    • His flowing hair / In curls on either cheek played.
  • * 1936 , (Djuna Barnes), (Nightwood) , Faber & Faber 2007, page 31:
    • Her hands, long and beautiful, lay on either side of her face.
  • One or the other of two.
  • * {{quote-news, passage=You can't be a table and a chair. You're either a Jew or a gentile.
    • , quotee=(Jackie Mason), year=2006, date=December 5, work=USA Today , title= Mason drops lawsuit vs. Jews for Jesus}}
  • (coordinating)
  • * {{quote-book, year=1893, author=(Walter Besant), title= The Ivory Gate, chapter=Prologue
    • , passage=Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language

    Synonyms

    * (one or the other) * (each of two) both, each

    Pronoun

    (English Pronouns)
  • (obsolete) Both, each of two or more.
  • * , Bk.VII:
    • Than ayther departed to theire tentis and made hem redy to horsebacke as they thought beste.
  • * (Francis Bacon) (1561-1626)
    • Scarce a palm of ground could be gotten by either of the three.
  • * , III.i:
    • And either vowd with all their power and wit, / To let not others honour be defaste.
  • * (1809-1894)
    • There have been three talkers in Great British, either of whom would illustrate what I say about dogmatists.
  • One or other of two people or things.
  • * 2013 , Daniel Taylor, Danny Welbeck leads England's rout of Moldova but hit by Ukraine ban , The Guardian, 6 September:
    • Hodgson may now have to bring in James Milner on the left and, on that basis, a certain amount of gloss was taken off a night on which Welbeck scored twice but barely celebrated either before leaving the pitch angrily complaining to the Slovakian referee.

    Adverb

    (-)
  • As well.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
    • , passage=But Richmond

    Usage notes

    either is sometimes used, especially in North American English, where neither would be more traditionally accurate: "I'm not hungry." "Me either."

    Synonyms

    * neither * too

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • Introduces the first of two options, the second of which is introduced by "or".
    • Either you eat your dinner or you go to your room.

    Usage notes

    * When there are more than two alternatives, "any" is used instead.

    See also

    * neither * nor * or

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * English conjunctive adverbs English indefinite pronouns English third person pronouns English words not following the I before E except after C rule 1000 English basic words

    dither

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • The state of being undecided.
  • * 2002 , Thomas P. Glynn, A Child's Christmas In Chicago , page 59:
  • *:Everyone was in a dither'''; either in it or about to get in it or just climbing out of it. Naturally, the Madam was not in a '''dither'''. '''Dither was a foreign concept to her.
  • A form of noise which is intentionally applied to randomize errors which occur in the processing of both digital audio and digital video data

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To tremble, shake, or shiver with cold.
  • *1913 ,
  • *:Presently he came running out of the scullery, with the soapy water dripping from him, dithering with cold.
  • To be uncertain or unable to make a decision about doing something.
  • *2012 , The Economist, Sept. 22nd issue, '' Indian Reform: At Last
  • *:The dithering Mr Singh of recent times may worry that his reform proposals are already too bold. The reforming Mr Singh of yore would see them as just the start.
  • To do something nervously.
  • (computer graphics) To render an approximation of (an image, etc.) by using dot patterns in similar colours to those that are unavailable on the system.

    • Derived terms

    * ditherer

    Anagrams

    * *