Collins English-English Dictionary

whether ['wεðə]

1. 1. conj [subordinating] used to introduce an indirect question or a clause after a verb expressing or implying doubt or choice in order to indicate two or more alternatives, the second or last of which is introduced by or or or whether

   he doesn't know whether she's in Britain or whether she's gone to France

2. 2. conj [subordinating; often foll by or not] used to introduce any indirect question

   he was not certain whether his friend was there or not

3. 3. conj another word for either

   any man, whether liberal or conservative, would agree with me

4. 4. conj [coordinating] [coordinating] [archaic] used to introduce a direct question consisting of two alternatives, the second of which is introduced by or or or whether

   whether does he live at home or abroad

5. 5. conj used as a conjunction as a variant of whether

6. 6. pron [obsolete] which (of two): used in direct or indirect questions

7. 7. pron [Etymology] Old English hwæther, hwether; related to Old Frisian hweder, hoder, Old High German hwedar, Old Norse hvatharr, hvarr, Gothic hwathar