Neither, 1) not either, none of two: “n. may possess the claim they lay,” Lucr. 1794. “where n. party is nor true nor kind,” Compl. 186. “excellent in n.” Pilgr. 102. “good night, good rest. Ah, n. be my share,” Pilgr. 102 “to themselves yet either n.” Phoen. 43. Wiv. IV, 6, 15. Err. III, 1, 67. LLL V, 2, 459 “(n. of either).” LLL V, 2, 459 Merch. V, 103. As I, 2, 283. All's III, 2, 52. John V, 2, 163. R2 III, 4, 12. H5 II, 2, 136. H6C II, 5, 12. R3 I, 1, 113. Lr. I, 1, 6. Ant. III, 2, 50 etc. etc. The verb sometimes following in the plural: “say that he or we, as n. have, received that sum,” LLL II, 133. “Thersites' body is as good as Ajax', when n. are alive,” Cymb. IV, 2, 253. cf. also Pilgr. 181.
Correlative to nor (in this case sometimes monosyllable: Merch. I, 1, 178. H6A V, 1, 59. H6C I, 1, 199): “n. eyes nor ears,” Ven. 437. “n. red nor pale,” Lucr. 1510. Sonn. 16, 11. 86, 7. Pilgr. 86. Tp. II, 2, 18. Gent. III, 1, 70. Meas. II, 2, 50. Err. II, 1, 1. II, 2, 49. III, 1, 66. V, 215. Ado I, 1, 232. LLL I, 2, 119. Merch. I, 1, 178. H6C I, 1, 45. 199 etc. “that's n. here nor there,” Wiv. I, 4, 112 (cf. Here). More than two things thus joined: “n. sad, nor sick, nor merry, nor well,” Ado II, 1, 303. “I should n. sell, nor give, nor lose it,” Merch. IV, 1, 443. “I have n. wit nor words nor worth, action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,” Caes. III, 2, 225 etc. Usually nor placed only before the last: “n. sting, knot, nor confine,” Compl. 265. “n. bended knees, pure hands held up, sad sighs, deep groans, nor silver-shedding tears,” Gent. III, 1, 229. “thou hast n. heat, affection, limb, nor beauty,” Meas. III, 1, 37. “n. my coat, integrity, nor persuasion,” IV, 2, 204. “n. maid, widow, nor wife,” V, 177. “n. savouring of poetry, wit, nor invention,” LLL IV, 2, 165. “he hath n. Latin, French, nor Italian,” Merch. I, 2, 74. “n. call the giddiness of it in question, the poverty of her, the small acquaintance, my sudden wooing, nor her sudden consenting,” As V, 2, 6. “has n. leg, hands, lip, nor cap,” All's II, 2, 11. “n. in estate, years, nor wit,” Tw. I, 3, 116. “n. pity, love, nor fear,” H6C V, 6, 68. “n. mother, wife, nor England's queen,” R3 I, 3, 209. “you know n. me, yourselves, nor any thing,” Cor. II, 1, 75 etc. Neither omitted: “he, nor that affable familiar ghost,” Sonn. 86, 9. “but my five wits nor my five senses can dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,” 141, 9. “then, nor now,” Meas. III, 2, 86 (look for more instances sub Nor). Nor omitted: “n. press, coffer, chest, trunk, well, vault, but he hath an abstract,” Wiv. IV, 2, 62. Or for nor: “n. in time, matter, or other circumstance,” Meas. IV, 2, 108. “n. in birth or for authority, the bishop will be overborne by thee,” H6A V, 1, 59. “Coriolanus n. to care whether they love or hate him,” Cor. II, 2, 13. Lr. III, 3, 6 (Qq nor).
2) as little, likewise not: “shall she marry him? No. How then? shall he marry her? No, n.” Gent. II, 5, 18. “Valentine? No. Who then? his spirit? N.” III, 1, 196. “which of you saw Sir Eglamour of late? Not I. Nor I. Saw you my daughter? N.” V, 2, 33. “a widow, then. N.” Meas. V, 176. “good people, enter and lay hold on him. No, not a creature enters in my house. Then let your servants bring my husband forth. N.” Err. V, 94. “you know me well. I never saw you in my life. Dost thou not know my voice? N.” Err. V, 94 “not sad, my lord. How then, sick? N., my lord,” Ado II, 1, 302. “wouldst thou have thy head broken? No. Then be still. N.” H4A III, 1, 245 etc. Double negative: “we'll not run. Nor go n.” Tp. III, 2, 22. “that cannot be so n.” Gent. II, 3, 18. “I care not for that n.” III, 1, 345. “my brows become nothing else, nor that well n.” Wiv. III, 3, 64. Ado II, 1, 323. II, 3, 98. LLL I, 1, 294. IV, 3, 191. V, 1, 158. Merch. I, 1, 47. I, 3, 167. As I, 2, 30. All's II, 1, 94. Tw. II, 5, 203. Caes. I, 2, 238. Oth. V, 2, 243. Ant. V, 2, 51 etc.
Hence == nor: “n. do I labour for a greater esteem,” As V, 2, 61. “n. allied to eminent assistants,” H8 I, 1, 61. “many dream not to find, n. deserve, and yet are steeped in favours,” Cymb. V, 4, 130.
3) Following a negative by way of enforcing it (almost == nevertheless, for all that): “you'll lie like dogs and yet say nothing n.” Tp. III, 2, 23. “and I paid nothing for it n.” Wiv. IV, 5, 63. “I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns n.” As I, 1, 93. “let it live. It shall not n.” Wint. II, 3, 158. Similarly after but: “the body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on n.” Ado I, 1, 290. “and that is but a kind of bastard hope n.” Merch. III, 5, 9. “it must be an answer of most monstrous size that must fit all demands. But a trifle n.” All's II, 2, 36. Not so n. == by no means: “but art not thou thyself giddy with the fashion too, that thou hast shifted out of thy tale into telling me of the fashion? Not so n.” Ado III, 3, 153 “thou art as wise as thou art beautiful. Not so n.” Mids. III, 1, 152 (or == the one as little as the other?). Cor. IV, 5, 175.