other

[uhth -er] /ˈʌð ər/
adjective
1.
additional or further:
he and one other person.
2.
different or distinct from the one mentioned or implied:
in some other city; Some other design may be better.
3.
different in nature or kind:
I would not have him other than he is.
4.
being the remaining one of two or more:
the other hand.
5.
(used with plural nouns) being the remaining ones of a number:
the other men; some other countries.
6.
former; earlier:
sailing ships of other days.
7.
not long past:
the other night.
noun
8.
the other one:
Each praises the other.
pronoun
9.
Usually, others. other persons or things:
others in the medical profession.
10.
some person or thing else:
Surely some friend or other will help me.
adverb
11.
otherwise; differently (usually followed by than):
We can't collect the rent other than by suing the tenant.
Idioms
12.
every other, every alternate:
a meeting every other week.
Origin
before 900; Middle English; Old English ōther (pronoun, adj., and noun); cognate with German ander, Gothic anthar; akin to Sanskrit antara-

every

[ev-ree] /ˈɛv ri/
adjective
1.
being one of a group or series taken collectively; each:
We go there every day.
2.
all possible; the greatest possible degree of:
every prospect of success.
Idioms
3.
every bit, in every respect; completely:
This is every bit as good as she says it is.
4.
every now and then, on occasion; from time to time:
She bakes her own bread every now and then.
Also, every once in a while, every so often.
5.
every other, every second; every alternate:
milk deliveries every other day.
6.
every which way, in all directions; in disorganized fashion:
I brushed against the table, and the cards fell every which way.
Origin
1125-75; Middle English every, everich, Old English ǣfre ǣlc ever each
Synonyms
1. See each.
British Dictionary definitions for every other

every

/ˈɛvrɪ/
determiner
1.
each one (of the class specified), without exception: every child knows it
2.
(not used with a negative) the greatest or best possible: every hope of success
3.
each: used before a noun phrase to indicate the recurrent, intermittent, or serial nature of a thing: every third day, every now and then, every so often
4.
(used in comparisons with as) every bit, quite; just; equally: every bit as funny as the other show
5.
every other, each alternate; every second: every other day
6.
every which way
  1. in all directions; everywhere: I looked every which way for you
  2. (US & Canadian) from all sides: stones coming at me every which way
Word Origin
C15 everich, from Old English ǣfre ǣlc, from ǣfreever + ǣlceach

other

/ˈʌðə/
determiner
1.
  1. (when used before a sing noun, usually preceded by the) the remaining (one or ones in a group of which one or some have been specified): I'll read the other sections of the paper later
  2. the other, (as pronoun; functioning as sing): one walks while the other rides
2.
(a) different (one or ones from that or those already specified or understood): he found some other house, no other man but you, other days were happier
3.
additional; further: there are no other possibilities
4.
(preceded by every) alternate; two: it buzzes every other minute
5.
other than
  1. apart from; besides: a lady other than his wife
  2. different from: he couldn't be other than what he is Archaic form other from
6.
(archaic) no other, nothing else: I can do no other
7.
(preceded by a phrase or word with some) or other, used to add vagueness to the preceding pronoun, noun, noun phrase, or adverb: some dog or other bit him, he's somewhere or other
8.
other things being equal, conditions being the same or unchanged
9.
the other day, a few days ago
10.
the other thing, an unexpressed alternative
pronoun
11.
another: show me one other
12.
(pl) additional or further ones: the police have found two and are looking for others
13.
(pl) other people or things
14.
the others, the remaining ones (of a group): take these and leave the others
15.
(pl) different ones (from those specified or understood): they'd rather have others, not these See also each other, one another
adverb
16.
(usually used with a negative and foll by than) otherwise; differently: they couldn't behave other than they do
Word Origin
Old English ōther; related to Old Saxon āthar, ōthar, Old High German andar
Word Origin and History for every other

other

adj.

Old English oþer "the second" (adj.), also as a pronoun, "one of the two, other," from Proto-Germanic *antharaz (cf. Old Saxon athar, Old Frisian other, Old Norse annarr, Middle Dutch and Dutch ander, Old High German andar, German ander, Gothic anþar "other").

These are from PIE *an-tero-, variant of *al-tero- "the other of two" (cf. Lithuanian antras, Sanskrit antarah "other, foreign," Latin alter), from root *al- "beyond" (see alias) + adjectival comparative suffix *-tero-. The Old English, Old Saxon, and Old Frisian forms show "a normal loss of n before fricatives" [Barnhart]. Meaning "different" is mid-13c.

Sense of "second" was detached from this word in English (which uses second, from Latin) and German (zweiter, from zwei "two") to avoid ambiguity. In Scandinavian, however, the second floor is still the "other" floor (e.g. Swedish andra, Danish anden). Also cf. Old English oþergeara "next year."

The other woman "a woman with whom a man begins a love affair while he is already committed" is from 1855. The other day originally (mid-12c.) was "the next day;" later (c.1300) "yesterday;" and now, loosely, "a day or two ago" (early 15c.). Phrase other half in reference to either the poor or the rich, is recorded from c.1600.

La moitié du monde ne sçayt comment l'aultre vit. [Rabelais, "Pantagruel," 1532]

every

adj.

early 13c., contraction of Old English æfre ælc "each of a group," literally "ever each" (Chaucer's everich), from each with ever added for emphasis, as the word is still felt to need emphasis (e.g. Modern English every last ..., every single ..., etc.).

Cf. everybody, everything, etc. The word everywhen is attested from 1843 but never caught on; neither did everyhow (1837). Slang phrase every Tom, Dick, and Harry dates from at least 1734, from common English given names.

Idioms and Phrases with every other

every other

Every second one in a series, as in I'm supposed to take this pill every other day. [ c. 1400 ]