| 释义 |
neither
nei·ther N0054100 (nē′thər, nī′-)adj. Not one or the other; not either: Neither shoe feels comfortable.pron. Not either one; not the one or the other: Neither of the twins is here. Neither will do. Neither of them is incorrect.conj.1. Not either; not in either case. Used with the correlative conjunction nor: Neither we nor they want it. She neither called nor wrote. I got neither the gift nor the card.2. Also not: If he won't go, neither will she.adv. Similarly not; also not: Just as you would not, so neither would they.
[Middle English, from Old English nāwther, nāhwæther (influenced by æghwæther, ægther, either) : nā, not; see ne in Indo-European roots + hwæther, which of two; see kwo- in Indo-European roots.]Usage Note: According to the traditional rule, neither is used only to mean "not one or the other of two." To refer to "none of several," none is preferred: None (not neither) of the three opposition candidates would make a better president than the incumbent. · The traditional rule also holds that neither is grammatically singular: Neither candidate is having an easy time with the press. However, it is often used with a plural verb, especially when followed by of and a plural: Neither of the candidates are really expressing their own views. · As a conjunction neither is properly followed by nor, not or, in formal style: Neither prayers nor curses (not or curses) did any good. See Usage Notes at either, every, he1, none, nor1, or1.neither (ˈnaɪðə; ˈniːðə) determinera. not one nor the other (of two); not either: neither foot is swollen. b. (as pronoun): neither can win. conj (coordinating) a. (used preceding alternatives joined by nor) not: neither John nor Mary nor Joe went. b. another word for nor2adv (sentence modifier) not standard another word for either4[C13 (literally, ne either not either): changed from Old English nāwther, from nāhwæther, from nā not + hwæther which of two; see whether]Usage: A verb following a compound subject that uses neither… should be in the singular if both subjects are in the singular: neither Jack nor John has done the worknei•ther (ˈni ðər, ˈnaɪ-)
conj. 1. not either, as of persons or things specified (usu. fol. by nor): Neither John nor Betty is at home. 2. nor; nor yet; no more: Bob can't go; neither can I. adj. 3. not either; not the one or the other: neither path. pron. 4. not either; not one person or the other; not one thing or the other: Neither is to be trusted. Neither of the keys fits the lock. [1150–1200; Middle English, =ne not + either either; replacing Middle English nawther, Old English nāwther, nāhwæther (nā not, no1 + hwæther which of two; see whether)] usage: When neither, a singular form, is followed by a prepositional phrase with a plural object, there is a tendency, esp. in speech and less formal writing, to use a plural verb and pronoun: Neither of the guards were at their stations. In edited writing, however, singular verbs and pronouns are more common: Neither of the guards was at his station. This use of a singular verb and pronoun is usually recommended by usage guides. Subjects connected by neither…nor take singular verbs and pronouns when both subjects are singular, plural when both are plural. Usage guides commonly say that when a singular and a plural subject are joined by these correlatives, the subject nearer the verb determines the verb: Neither the mayor nor the demonstrators have yielded. Neither the demonstrators nor the mayor has yielded. Practice varies, however, and often the presence of one plural subject, no matter what its position, results in a plural verb. pron: See either. neither1. 'neither' and 'neither of'You use neither or neither of to make a negative statement about two people or things. You use neither in front of the singular form of a countable noun. You use neither of in front of a plural pronoun or a plural noun phrase beginning with the, these, those, or a possessive. So, for example, you can say 'Neither child was hurt' or 'Neither of the children was hurt'. There is no difference in meaning. Neither man spoke or moved.Neither of them spoke for several moments.Be Careful!
Don't use 'neither' without of in front of a plural form. Don't say, for example, 'Neither the children was hurt'. Also, don't use 'not' after neither. Don't say, for example, 'Neither of the children wasn't hurt'. People sometimes use a plural form of a verb after neither of and a noun phrase. For example, they say 'Neither of the children were hurt'. Neither of them are students.Neither of them were listening.This use is acceptable in conversation and in less formal writing, but in formal writing you should always use a singular form of a verb after neither of. 2. 'neither' in repliesWhen a negative statement has been made, you can use neither to show that this statement also applies to another person or thing. You put neither at the beginning of the clause, followed by an auxiliary verb, a modal, or be, then the subject. You can also use nor in the same way with the same meaning. 'I didn't invite them.' 'Neither did I.'If your printer does not work, neither will your fax or copier.Douglas can't do it, and nor can Gavin.
See neither ... norThesaurus| Adj. | 1. | neither - not either; not one or the otherincomplete, uncomplete - not complete or total; not completed; "an incomplete account of his life"; "political consequences of incomplete military success"; "an incomplete forward pass" |
Translationsneither (ˈnaiðə) , ((especially American) ˈni:ðə(r)) adjective, pronoun not the one nor the other (of two things or people). Neither window faces the sea; Neither of them could understand Italian. 兩者皆非 两者都不neither … nor used to introduce alternatives which are both negative. Neither John nor David could come; He can neither read nor write. 既不...也不... 既不...也不...
As with either … or , the verb usually follows the noun or pronoun that comes closest to it: Neither Kate nor Susan is responsible ; Neither she nor her children speak English . neither → 两者都不zhCN, 既不...也不zhCNneither
neither fish, flesh, nor fowlNeither one thing nor another; not belonging to any suitable class or description; not recognizable or characteristic of any one particular thing. We require a solution that directly deals with the issue at hand, but what the chancellor has put forward is, to my mind, neither fish, flesh nor fowl.See also: fowl, neither, norneither fish, flesh, nor good red herringobsolete Not belonging to any suitable class of thing; unfit for any purpose or to be used by anyone. This older phrase appeared in a 16th-century proverb collection, where fish refers to food for monks (who abstained from meat), flesh refers to food for the general populace, and "good red herring" refers to inexpensive fish that would have been food for the poor. With crime as it is in this township, the law must be aggressive and dependable; unfortunately, the new constable is neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring.See also: good, herring, neither, nor, redneither fish nor fleshNeither one thing nor another; not belonging to any suitable class or description; not recognizable or characteristic of any one particular thing. We require a solution that directly deals with the issue at hand, but what the chancellor has put forward is, to my mind, neither fish nor flesh.See also: fish, flesh, neither, norbe neither fish nor fowlTo be difficult to describe or definitively categorize. What genre of music is this? It's neither fish nor fowl to me.See also: fish, fowl, neither, norbe neither one thing nor the otherTo be an unappealing combination of two very different things. A: "I thought you liked country and jazz." B: "I do, and that's why this band is so disappointing—it's neither one thing nor the other."See also: neither, nor, one, other, thingneither hide nor hairNo trace or evidence of someone or something. I don't know where Mike went. I've seen neither hide nor hair of him all day.See also: hair, hide, neither, norneither fish nor fowlNeither one thing nor another; not belonging to any suitable class or description; not recognizable or characteristic of any one particular thing. We require a solution that directly deals with the issue at hand, but the proposal that has been put forward is, to my mind, neither fish nor fowl.See also: fish, fowl, neither, norme neitherI also would not or do not. A: "I really don't care for strawberry ice cream." B: "Ugh, me neither!" A: "I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a dress like that." B: "Me neither."See also: neitherneither here nor thereIrrelevant or unimportant; having no bearing upon the current situation. Charlie's personal activities are neither here nor there. All that matters is his performance in the job.See also: here, neither, nor, therehave neither chick nor childTo be without children. The fact the I have neither chick nor child means I am able to travel wherever I want, whenever I want. It took me a while to come to terms with having neither chick nor child at my age, but I'm at peace with it now.See also: chick, child, have, neither, norneither rhyme nor reasonNo particular logic, sense, method, or meaning of a given situation, action, person, thing, group, etc. I've looked over it several times, but there's neither rhyme nor reason to the agreement we were sent this morning.See also: neither, nor, reason, rhymeneither a borrower nor a lender beTry to live your life without incurring debt from or accruing the debt of others, or else you risk spoiling your relationships with other people. Taken from Shakespeare's Hamlet, offered as advice by the character Polonius to his son, Laertes. My dad always taught me to earn my own way, to never ask for financial help or hang around those who seek that help from me. Neither a borrower nor a lender be, that was his motto.See also: neither, norneither can (one)One is also incapable of doing something. A: "The crowd is screaming so much I can't even hear the band!" B: "Neither can I—let's get out of here." A: "I can't believe Janet's bosses would do something like that to her." B: "Yeah, neither could she."See also: can, neitherneither does (one)One also does not. A: "I really don't like pineapple on pizza." B: "Blech, neither do I." A: "How will you get work? You don't have your high school diploma!" B: "Neither do a lot of billionaires!"See also: does, neitherif you run after two hares, you will catch neitherIf you try to do two things at once, you will fail. You can't look for that file and dictate a message at the same time. Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you run after two hares, you will catch neither?See also: after, catch, if, neither, run, two, willIf you run after two hares, you will catch neither.Prov. You cannot do two things successfully at the same time. Vanessa: If I want to pursue my acting career, I'll have to take more days off to go to auditions. But I want to get ahead in the office, too. Jane: If you run after two hares, you will catch neither.See also: after, catch, if, neither, run, two, willNeither a borrower nor a lender be.Prov. It is difficult to be friends with someone who owes you money or with someone to whom you owe something, so it is better not to borrow or lend in the first place. After losing several of my favorite books because I didn't have the nerve to insist that my friends return them, I learned that it is best to neither a borrower nor a lender be.See also: neither, norNeither can I 1. I cannot do that either. (Any subject pronoun can be used in place of I.) Bill: No matter what they do to them, I just can't stand sweet potatoes! Bob: Neither can I. John: Let's go. I cannot tolerate the smoke in here. Jane: Neither can I.See also: can, neitherneither does someone[does] not either. Susan does not own a cat, and neither does Mary. Bill doesn't want to see a movie tonight, and neither do I.See also: does, neitherneither fish nor fowlCliché not any recognizable thing. The car that they drove up in was neither fish nor fowl. It must have been made out of spare parts. This proposal is neither fish nor fowl. I can't tell what you're proposing.See also: fish, fowl, neither, norneither here nor thereCliché of no consequence or meaning; irrelevant and immaterial. Whether you go to the movie or stay at home is neither here nor there. Your comment—though interesting—is neither here nor there.See also: here, neither, nor, there*neither rhyme nor reasonCliché without logic, order, or planning. (Describes something disorganized. *Typically: be ~; have ~.) There seems to be neither rhyme nor reason to Gerald's filing system. The novel's plot had neither rhyme nor reason.See also: neither, nor, reason, rhymehide nor hair, neitherAlso, hide or hair. No trace of something lost or missing. For example, I haven't seen hide nor hair of the children. This expression alludes to the entire outer coat of an animal. [Mid-1800s] See also: hide, neither, norneither fish nor fowlAlso, neither fish nor flesh; neither fish, flesh, nor fowl. Not one or the other, not something fitting any category under discussion. For example, They felt he was neither fish nor fowl-not qualified to lead the department, yet not appropriate to work as a staff member either . This expression appeared in slightly different form in John Heywood's 1546 proverb collection ("Neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring") and is thought to allude to food for monks ( fish, because they abstained from meat), for the people ( flesh, or meat), and for the poor ( red herring, a very cheap fish). See also: fish, fowl, neither, norneither here nor thereUnimportant, irrelevant, as in You pay for the movie and I'll get the dinner check, or vice versa-it's neither here nor there . This expression was first recorded in 1583. Also see beside the point. See also: here, neither, nor, thererhyme or reason, noAn absence of common sense or reasonableness, as in This memo has no rhyme or reason. Closely related variants are without rhyme or reason, as in The conclusion of her paper was without rhyme or reason, and neither rhyme nor reason, as in Neither rhyme nor reason will explain that lawyer's objections. This term originated in French about 1475 and began to be used in English about a century later. Sir Thomas More is credited with saying of a mediocre book that a friend had put into verse, "Now it is somewhat, for now it is rhyme; whereas before it was neither rhyme nor reason." See also: no, rhymeneither fish nor fowl If something or someone is neither fish nor fowl, they are difficult to identify or understand, because they seem partly like one thing and partly like another. Brunel's vessel was neither fish nor fowl: a passenger liner too ugly and dirty to offer much beyond novelty value. In the American sports press, this athlete is neither fish nor fowl, neither American nor entirely foreign. Note: People occasionally replace fish with flesh. She didn't look one of anything to Oatsie, neither flesh nor fowl, neither idiot nor intellectual. Note: `Fowl' is an old-fashioned word for a hen or other bird. See also: fish, fowl, neither, norneither here nor there SPOKENCOMMON If something is neither here nor there, it is completely unimportant and does not affect the situation in any way. He was a good man as it turned out, but that's neither here nor there. You know, five hundred pounds is neither here nor there to most of them.See also: here, neither, nor, thereneither chick nor child no children at all. North American or dialectSee also: chick, child, neither, norneither fish nor fowl (nor good red herring) of indefinite character and difficult to identify or classify. This expression arose with reference to dietary laws formerly laid down by the Church during periods of fasting or abstinence.See also: fish, fowl, neither, norneither here nor there of no importance or relevance. 1993 Independent on Sunday The fact that American audiences haven't recognised it as a great film and appreciated its outstanding acting is neither here nor there. See also: here, neither, nor, thereneither hide nor hair of someone not the slightest trace of someone.See also: hair, hide, neither, nor, of, someoneneither ˌfish nor ˈfowl neither one thing nor another: Graduate teaching assistants are neither fish nor fowl, neither completely students nor teachers.See also: fish, fowl, neither, norneither ˌhere nor ˈthere not important because it is not connected with the subject being discussed; irrelevant: The fact that she’s the director’s daughter is neither here nor there. She’s the most suitable person for the job. ♢ What might have happened is neither here nor there.See also: here, neither, nor, there neither fish nor fowl Having no specific characteristics; indefinite.See also: fish, fowl, neither, nor neither here nor there Unimportant and irrelevant.See also: here, neither, nor, thereneither fish, flesh, nor fowlNot one or the other; not fitting any category. This term dates from the sixteenth century and appeared in John Heywood’s 1546 Proverbs as “She is nother fyshe, nor fleshe, nor good red hearyng [herring].” The analogy refers to food for monks (fish), for the people (meat), and for the poor (red herring). Shakespeare also used the term; when Falstaff insults Mistress Quickly, he says she’s an otter because “She’s neither fish nor flesh; a man knows not where to have her” (Henry IV, Part 1, 3.3).See also: fowl, neither, norneither here nor thereIrrelevant, unimportant. This term dates from the sixteenth century, appearing in Arthur Golding’s translation of Calvin (1583), “Our so dooing is neither here nor there (as they say),” as well as in Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, Othello, and elsewhere.See also: here, neither, nor, thereneither hide nor hairNothing; no part of something. The term, which dates from Chaucer’s time, alludes to the fact that the outside of an animal is made up of hide and hair, which therefore constitute its entirety. The negative version, nearly always meaning that something or someone cannot be seen or found, became common in the mid-nineteenth century. “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of the piece,” wrote Josiah G. Holland (The Bay-Path, 1857).See also: hair, hide, neither, norneither rhyme nor reasonNo sense whatever. This term dates from the fifteenth century, when an unknown French writer wrote, En toy ne Ryme ne Raison (“In you neither rhyme nor reason,” Maistre Pierre Pathelin, ca. 1475). Sir Thomas More is credited with the following remark made to a friend who had put into verse a mediocre book: “Yea, marry, now it is somewhat, for now it is rhyme; whereas before it was neither rhyme nor reason.” The term made it into John Ray’s proverb collection of 1678 and is by no means obsolete.See also: neither, nor, reason, rhymeneither fish nor fowlHaving no specific characteristics or category, not easily characterized. The phrase, which was originally “neither fish nor flesh nor fowl,” appeared in slightly different form in a 16th-century collection of proverbs as “neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring”: fish for monks who ate no meat, flesh for people who could afford meat, and cheap herring for the poor. The phrase is reminiscent of the old riddle: What is neither fish nor flesh, feathers nor bone/but still has fingers and thumbs of its own? Answer: a glove.See also: fish, fowl, neither, norneither rhyme nor reasonMaking no sense at all. “Rhyme” alludes to poetry and by extension all of the creative arts, while “reason” stands for intellect. Accordingly, something that can't be understood or justified in terms of either artistic merit or logic is indeed of little value.See also: neither, nor, reason, rhymeneither
Words related to neitheradj not eitherRelated Words |