both
determinerpronounconjunctiontop 1 000 in film dialogue
- United Kingdom/[bəʊθ]/
- United Kingdom//bəwθ//
- United States/[boʊθ]/
- //boʊθ//
- //bəʊθ//
Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items.
determiner
- 1
Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items.
Both (the/my) children are such dolls.
Which one do you need? ―I need both of them.
Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
He will not bear the loss of his rank, because he can bear the loss of his estate; but he will bear both, because he is prepared for both.
Etymology
From Middle English bothe, boþe, from Old English bā þā (“both the; both those”) and possibly reinforced by Old Norse báðir, from Proto-Germanic *bai. Cognate with Saterland Frisian bee (“both”), West Frisian beide (“both”), Dutch beide (“both”), German beide (“both”), Swedish både, båda, Danish både, Norwegian både, Icelandic báðir. Replaced Middle English bō, from Old English bā, a form of Old English bēġen. A remnant of the Indo-European dual grammatical number.
pronoun
- 1
Each of the two, or of the two kinds.
Did you want this one or that one? ―Give me both.
They were both here.
I've already lost both (of) my parents.
Irregular bedtimes may disrupt healthy brain development in young children, according to a study of intelligence and sleeping habits. ¶ Going to bed at a different time each night affected girls more than boys, but both fared worse on mental tasks than children who had a set bedtime, researchers found.
conjunction
- 1
Including both of (used with and).
I (can) both sing and dance.
Both you and I are students.
Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. There was a great deal of them, lavish both in material and in workmanship.
- 2
obsoleteIncluding all of (used with and).
[…] having much aduantage both in number, valure, and forepreparation […]
Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound.
He prayeth well who loveth well both man and bird and beast.
[…] as he appreciates its beauty and its rich gifts, as he regards it with venerant love, fed by both his intellectual powers, his contemplation, and his meditation.
both · Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items.
Both · A surname.bother · To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to…bothered · Annoyed; irritated.