both / bō[unvoicedth]/ • adj. & pron. used to refer to two people or things, regarded and identified together: [as adj.] both his parents indulged him [as pron.] a picture of both of us together. • adv. used before the first of two alternatives to emphasize that the statement being made applies to each (the other alternative being introduced by “and”): they all loved to play, both the boys and the girls.PHRASES: have it both ways benefit from two incompatible ways of thinking or behaving: countries cannot have it both ways: the cost of a cleaner environment may sometimes be fewer jobs.

both XII. ME. bāþe, bōþe — ON. báðir = OS. bēðia, OHG. bēde, beide (G. beide); extended form of the base found in OE. bēġen, Goth. bai, and as the second element of L. ambō, OSl. (Russ.) oba, Skr. ubháu, Av. uva both.