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.
Meanings
Including both of (used with and).
Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. There was a great deal of them, lavish both in material and in workmanship. 1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in An Autobiography, part II, London: Collins, →ISBN:
Both you and I are students.
I (can) both sing and dance.
(obsolete) Including all of (used with and).
[…] 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. 1892, Richard Congreve, Essays Political, Social, and Religious, volume 2, page 615:
Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound. 1766, [Oliver Goldsmith], The Vicar of Wakefield: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Salisbury, Wiltshire: […] B. Collins, for F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC:
He prayeth well who loveth well both man and bird and beast. 1797–1798 (date written), [Samuel Taylor Coleridge], “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere”, in Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, London: […] J[ohn] & A[rthur] Arch, […], published 1798, →OCLC:
[…] having much aduantage both in number, valure, and forepreparation […] 1598, Philip Sidney, The countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia, page 211:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
bothe
alternative
lexicographic
Relateds
twice (various semantically related terms) · neither (various semantically related terms) · second (various semantically related terms) · two (various semantically related terms) · 2nd (various semantically related terms) · dual (various semantically related terms) · pair (various semantically related terms) · couple (various semantically related terms) · 2 (various semantically related terms) · double (various semantically related terms)
Translations (40)
ja …でも…でも (both...and...) · cmn 既……又…… (both...and...) · ar كل من ... و ... (both...and...) · da både...og... (both...and...) · pt tanto ... quanto ... (both...and...) · nl zowel ... als ... (both...and...) · ja …でもあり…でもある (both...and...) · ga ... agus ... le chéile (both...and...) · hy ե՛ւ ... ե՛ւ ... (both...and...) · sh i ... i ... (both...and...) · eo kaj ... kaj ... (both...and...) · no både ... og ... (both...and...) · la et...et... (both...and...) · ru и... и... (both...and...) · fa هم... هم... (both...and...) · sl tako ... kot ... (both...and...) · ro atât ... cât și ... (both...and...) · hu mind..., mind... (both...and...) · tr hem... hem... (both...and...) · it sia... sia... (both...and...) · pl zarówno..., jak i... i..., i... (both...and...) · sv såväl ... som (both...and...) · hi दोनों ... और ... (both...and...) · ca tant ... com ... (both...and...) · sk tak... ako... (both...and...) · ang ġe... ġe... (both...and...) · pt ambos ... e ... (both...and...) · mk и... и... (both...and...) · el και... και... (both...and...) · de sowohl ... als auch (both...and...) · gd an dà chuid... agus... (both...and...) · es y... por igual (both...and...) · sv både ... och (both...and...) · fr à la fois ... et ... (both...and...) · grc καὶ... καὶ... (both...and...) · cmn 又……又…… (both...and...) · sh и ... и ... (both...and...) · ga idir... agus... (both...and...) · es tanto... como... (both...and...) · fi sekä ... että (both...and...)
both en · DET
Pronunciation
[bɜʊ̯θ] Philadelphia, Baltimore, Midland US, Southern US
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.
Meanings
Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items.
Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 21:27:
Both (the/my) children are such dolls.
The proof (Tables 9 and 10) of idempotence for both OR and AND follows from examining the definition of each operation under the constraint that both inputs have the same value. 2022 August 4, William Bahn, “Boolean Algebra Laws—Delving Into Boolean Identities”, in All About Circuits:
Which one do you need? ―I need both of them.
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. 1717, Viscount Bolingbroke, Reflexions upon Exile:
Around a third of both Black and White respondents said they believed the opposition Labour Party to be institutionally racist. 2020 June 22, Rob Picheta, “Most Black British people think the Conservative Party is institutionally racist, CNN poll finds”, in CNN:
sq të dy (each of two; one and the other) · arz الاتنين (each of two; one and the other) · pl obaj (each of two; one and the other) · sco baith (each of two; one and the other) · pl obydwie (each of two; one and the other) · hu mind a két (each of two; one and the other) · ja 両方 (each of two; one and the other) · ps دواړه (each of two; one and the other) · nl beide (each of two; one and the other) · hu mind a kettő (each of two; one and the other) · tr ikisi (de) (each of two; one and the other) · it ambo tutti e due (each of two; one and the other) · pl oboje (each of two; one and the other) · te రెండూ (each of two; one and the other) · ro amândouă (each of two; one and the other) · it sia (each of two; one and the other) · ur دونوں (each of two; one and the other) · fy beide (each of two; one and the other) · fr tout deux (each of two; one and the other) · sh о̏бје (each of two; one and the other) · fa هردو (each of two; one and the other) · da begge (each of two; one and the other) · uk оби́два (each of two; one and the other) · io omni du (each of two; one and the other) · ja どちらも (each of two; one and the other) · es entrambos (each of two; one and the other) · grc ἀμφότερος (each of two; one and the other) · sh ȍba (each of two; one and the other) · ca ambdós (each of two; one and the other) · ka ორივე (each of two; one and the other) · oc ambedós (each of two; one and the other) · fy allebeide (each of two; one and the other) · ru о́бе (each of two; one and the other) · sl oba (each of two; one and the other) · he שני (each of two; one and the other) · uk оби́дві (each of two; one and the other) · nn begge (each of two; one and the other) · la ambō (each of two; one and the other) · haw nā mea ʻelua (each of two; one and the other) · gu બંને (each of two; one and the other) · got 𐌱𐌰𐌹 (each of two; one and the other) · ro ambii (each of two; one and the other) · cy y ddau (each of two; one and the other) · pl oba (each of two; one and the other) · nb begge (each of two; one and the other) · is báðar (each of two; one and the other) · cmn 兩 /两 (each of two; one and the other) · hi दोनों (each of two; one and the other) · ga araon (each of two; one and the other) · sa उभौ (each of two; one and the other) · cs oba (each of two; one and the other) · it tutte e due (each of two; one and the other) · be або́е (each of two; one and the other) · la ambae (each of two; one and the other) · nl beiden (each of two; one and the other) · sv båda (each of two; one and the other) · ja 双方 (each of two; one and the other) · ia ambe (each of two; one and the other) · ms dua-dua (each of two; one and the other) · fr les deux (each of two; one and the other) · pl obydwoje (each of two; one and the other) · te ఇద్దరు (each of two; one and the other) · ar كِلَا (each of two; one and the other) · nl allebeide (each of two; one and the other) · es ambos a dos (each of two; one and the other) · io ambe (each of two; one and the other) · lt abu (each of two; one and the other) · de beide (each of two; one and the other) · roa-opt ambos (each of two; one and the other) · is bæði (each of two; one and the other) · ko 둘 다 (each of two; one and the other) · ckb ھەردو (each of two; one and the other) · fo báðir (each of two; one and the other) · sv ömse (each of two; one and the other) · ms dedua (each of two; one and the other) · pl obydwaj (each of two; one and the other) · oc totes dos (each of two; one and the other) · ro ambele (each of two; one and the other) · haw lāua ʻelua (each of two; one and the other) · sk obidva (each of two; one and the other) · sh ȍbje (each of two; one and the other) · fi kummatkin (each of two; one and the other) · gl amos (each of two; one and the other) · sh о̏бе (each of two; one and the other) · ca tots dos (each of two; one and the other) · is báðir (each of two; one and the other) · eo ambaŭ (each of two; one and the other) · mk обата (each of two; one and the other) · sl obe (each of two; one and the other) · nl allebei (each of two; one and the other) · sh о̏ба (each of two; one and the other) · lad ambos (each of two; one and the other) · bg и двамата (each of two; one and the other) · pl obie (each of two; one and the other) · es los dos (each of two; one and the other) · et mõlemad (each of two; one and the other) · es uno y otro (each of two; one and the other) · sc ambos (each of two; one and the other) · frr biise (each of two; one and the other) · el αμφότεροι (amfóteroi) (each of two; one and the other) · prg abbai (each of two; one and the other) · it ambedue (each of two; one and the other) · id keduanya (each of two; one and the other) · is bæði (each of two; one and the other) · sk obidvaja (each of two; one and the other) · yi ביידע (each of two; one and the other) · ko 양쪽의 (each of two; one and the other) · cy y ddwy (each of two; one and the other) · tr her ikisi (de) (each of two; one and the other) · pl obydwa (each of two; one and the other) · hu mindkettő (each of two; one and the other) · got 𐌱𐌰𐌾𐍉𐌸𐍃 (each of two; one and the other) · nl alletwee (each of two; one and the other) · es ambos (each of two; one and the other) · ang bēġen (each of two; one and the other) · kk екеуі (each of two; one and the other) · ms kedua-dua (each of two; one and the other) · ms kededua (each of two; one and the other) · txb antapi (each of two; one and the other) · pt ambos (each of two; one and the other) · cmn 倆 /俩 (each of two; one and the other) · th ทั้งสอง (each of two; one and the other) · sh ȍbe (each of two; one and the other) · sv bägge (each of two; one and the other) · it entrambi (each of two; one and the other) · lv abi (each of two; one and the other) · nn båe (each of two; one and the other) · be абе́дзве (each of two; one and the other) · cmn 雙方 /双方 (each of two; one and the other) · osp amos (each of two; one and the other) · ja 両- (each of two; one and the other) · ko 쌍방 (each of two; one and the other) · ro amândoi (each of two; one and the other) · mi rūrua (each of two; one and the other) · gl ambos (each of two; one and the other) · fi kumpikin (each of two; one and the other) · io omna du (each of two; one and the other) · vi cả hai (each of two; one and the other) · fa هر دو (each of two; one and the other) · ru о́ба (each of two; one and the other) · cmn ...都 (each of two; one and the other) · mk двата (each of two; one and the other) · hu mindkét (each of two; one and the other) · be або́два (each of two; one and the other) · bg и двете (each of two; one and the other) · uk обо́є (each of two; one and the other) · fr tous les deux (each of two; one and the other) · fi molemmat (each of two; one and the other) · la ambō (each of two; one and the other)
both en · PRON
Pronunciation
[bɜʊ̯θ] Philadelphia, Baltimore, Midland US, Southern US
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.
Meanings
Each of the two, or of the two kinds.
They were both here.
I've already lost both (of) my parents.
Did you want this one or that one? ―Give me both.
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. 2013 July 19, Ian Sample, “Irregular bedtimes may affect children's brains”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 34: