2 N‑COUNT The Egyptians are the people who come from Egypt.
3 ADJ Egyptian means related to or connected with ancient Egypt. □ …the Egyptian pharaoh.
4 N‑COUNT The Egyptians were the people who lived in ancient Egypt.
eh /e I / CONVENTION Eh is used in writing to represent a noise that people make as a response in conversation, for example to express agreement or to ask for something to be explained or repeated. □ Let's talk all about it outside, eh? □ 'He's um ill in bed.'—'Eh?'—'He's ill in bed.'
eider|down /a I də r daʊn/ (eiderdowns ) N‑COUNT An eiderdown is a bed covering, placed on top of sheets and blankets, that is filled with small soft feathers or warm material. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use comforter
eight ◆◆◆ /e I t/ (eights ) NUM Eight is the number 8. □ So far eight workers have been killed.
eight|een ◆◆◆ /e I tiː n/ (eighteens ) NUM Eighteen is the number 18. □ He was employed by them for eighteen years.
eight|eenth ◆◆◇ /e I tiː nθ/
1 ORD The eighteenth item in a series is the one that you count as number eighteen. □ The siege is now in its eighteenth day.
2 FRACTION An eighteenth is one of eighteen equal parts of something.
eighth ◆◆◇ /e I tθ/ (eighths )
1 ORD The eighth item in a series is the one that you count as number eight. □ …the eighth prime minister of India.
2 FRACTION An eighth is one of eight equal parts of something. □ The Kuban produces an eighth of Russia's grain, meat and milk.
ei ghth note (eighth notes ) N‑COUNT An eighth note is a musical note that has a time value equal to half a quarter note. [AM ] in BRIT, use quaver
eighti|eth ◆◆◇ /e I tiəθ/ ORD The eightieth item in a series is the one that you count as number eighty. □ Mr Stevens recently celebrated his eightieth birthday.
eighty ◆◆◆ /e I ti/ (eighties )
1 NUM Eighty is the number 80. □ Eighty horses trotted up.
2 N‑PLURAL When you talk about the eighties , you are referring to numbers between 80 and 89. For example, if you are in your eighties , you are aged between 80 and 89. If the temperature is in the eighties , the temperature is between 80 and 89 degrees. □ He was in his late eighties and had become the country's most respected elder statesman.
3 N‑PLURAL The eighties is the decade between 1980 and 1989. □ He ran a property development business in the eighties.
eistedd|fod /a I ste dfɒd, [AM ] -vɑːd/ (eisteddfods ) N‑COUNT An eisteddfod is a Welsh festival at which competitions are held in music, poetry, drama, and art.
either ◆◆◆ /a I ðə r , iː ðə r /
1 CONJ You use either in front of the first of two or more alternatives, when you are stating the only possibilities or choices that there are. The other alternatives are introduced by 'or'. □ Sightseeing is best done either by tour bus or by bicycle. □ The former President was demanding that he should be either put on trial or set free. □ Either she goes or I go.
2 CONJ You use either in a negative statement in front of the first of two alternatives to indicate that the negative statement refers to both the alternatives. □ They found no sign of either him or his son.
3 PRON You can use either to refer to one of two things, people, or situations, when you want to say that they are both possible and it does not matter which one is chosen or considered. □ There were glasses of champagne and cigars, but not many of either were consumed. ● QUANT Either is also a quantifier. □ Have either of you rented before? ● DET Either is also a determiner. □ I don't particularly agree with either group.
4 PRON You use either in a negative statement to refer to each of two things, people, or situations to indicate that the negative statement includes both of them. □ She warned me that I'd never marry or have children. – I don't want either. ● QUANT Either is also a quantifier. □ There are no simple answers to either of those questions. ● DET Either is also a determiner. □ He sometimes couldn't remember either man's name.
5 ADV [ADV after v] You use either by itself in negative statements to indicate that there is a similarity or connection with a person or thing that you have just mentioned. □ He did not even say anything to her, and she did not speak to him either.
6 ADV [ADV after v] When one negative statement follows another, you can use either at the end of the second one to indicate that you are adding an extra piece of information, and to emphasize that both are equally important. □ Don't agree, but don't argue either.
7 DET You can use either to introduce a noun that refers to each of two things when you are talking about both of them. □ The basketball nets hung down from the ceiling at either end of the gymnasium. USAGE either
Don’t use either
without of
in front of a plural noun or pronoun. Don’t say, for example ‘
ejacu|late / I dʒæ kjʊle I t/ (ejaculates , ejaculating , ejaculated ) VERB When a man ejaculates , sperm comes out through his penis. □ [V ] … a tendency to ejaculate quickly. ● ejacu|la|tion / I dʒæ kjʊle I ʃ ə n/ (ejaculations ) N‑VAR □ Each male ejaculation will contain up to 300 million sperm.
eject / I dʒe kt/ (ejects , ejecting , ejected )