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View synonyms for or

or

1

[ awr; unstressed er ]

conjunction

  1. (used to connect words, phrases, or clauses representing alternatives):

    books or magazines; to be or not to be.

  2. (used to connect alternative terms for the same thing):

    the Hawaiian, or Sandwich, Islands.

  3. (used in correlation):

    either … or; or … or; whether … or.

  4. (used to correct or rephrase what was previously said):

    His autobiography, or rather memoirs, will soon be ready for publication.

  5. otherwise; or else:

    Be here on time, or we'll leave without you.

  6. Logic. the connective used in disjunction.

OR

2

[ awr ]

noun

  1. a Boolean operator that returns a positive result when either or both operands are positive.

-or

3
  1. a suffix occurring in loanwords from Latin, directly or through Anglo-French, usually denoting a condition or property of things or persons ( ardor; honor; horror; liquor; pallor; squalor; torpor; tremor ), sometimes corresponding to qualitative adjectives ending in -id4 ( horrid; pallid; squalid; torpid ). A few other words that originally ended in different suffixes have been assimilated to this group ( behavior; demeanor; glamour ).

or

4

[ awr ]

preposition

, Chiefly Irish, Scot., and English.

OR

5

abbreviation for

  1. Law. on (one's own) recognizance.
  2. operating room.
  3. operations research.
  4. Oregon (approved especially for use with zip code).
  5. owner's risk.

-or

6
  1. a suffix forming animate or inanimate agent nouns, occurring originally in loanwords from Anglo-French ( debtor; lessor; tailor; traitor ); it now functions in English as an orthographic variant of -er 1, usually joined to bases of Latin origin, in imitation of borrowed Latin words containing the suffix -tor (and its alternant -sor ). The association with Latinate vocabulary may impart a learned look to the resultant formations, which often denote machines or other less tangible entities which behave in an agentlike way: descriptor; plexor; projector; repressor; sensor; tractor .

or

7

[ awr ]

noun

  1. the tincture, or metal, gold: represented either by gold or by yellow.

adjective

  1. of the tincture, or metal, gold:

    a lion or.

O.R.

8

abbreviation for

  1. owner's risk.

or

1

/ ɔː /

adjective

  1. usually postpositive heraldry of the metal gold

-or

2

suffix forming nouns

  1. a person or thing that does what is expressed by the verb

    actor

    sailor

    conductor

    generator

or

3

/ ɔː /

conjunction

  1. subordinating; foll by ever or ere before; when

preposition

  1. before

or

4

/ ɔː; ə /

conjunction

  1. used to join alternatives

    apples or pears

    apples, pears, or cheese

    apples or pears or cheese

  2. used to join rephrasings of the same thing

    to serve in the army, or rather to fight in the army

    twelve, or a dozen

  3. used to join two alternatives when the first is preceded by either or whether

    either yes or no

    whether it rains or not we'll be there

  4. one or two
    one or two a few
  5. See else
    or else
    or else See else
  6. a poetic word for either or whether as the first element in correlatives, with or also preceding the second alternative

-or

5

suffix forming nouns

  1. indicating state, condition, or activity

    error

    terror

  2. See -our
    the US spelling of -our

OR

6

abbreviation for

  1. operations research
  2. Oregon
  3. military other ranks

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Usage Note

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Spelling Note

While the -or spelling of the suffix -or1 is characteristic of American English, there are occasional exceptions, as in advertising copy, where spellings such as colour and favour seek to suggest the allure and exclusiveness of a product. The spelling glamour is somewhat more common than glamor —not actually an instance of -or1, but conformed to it orthographically in the course of the word's history. In British English -our is still the spelling in most widespread use, -or being commonly retained when certain suffixes are added, as in color ation, honor ary, honor ific, labor ious, odor iferous. The English of the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) tends to mirror British practice, whereas Canadian English shares with the U.S. a preference for -or but with -our spellings as freely used variants. The suffix -or2 is now spelled -or in all forms of English, with the exception of the word savior, often spelled saviour in the U.S. as well as in Britain, especially with reference to Jesus.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of or1

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, originally the second, unstressed member of correlative other … or, earlier other … other, Old English āther … oththe, ā-hwæther … oththe, for oththe … oththe either … or; ay 1, whether

Origin of or2

1940–45

Origin of or3

From Latin; in some cases continuing Middle English -our, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin -ōr-, stem of -or, earlier -os

Origin of or4

First recorded before 950; Middle English er, ar, or, Old English ār “before, soon, early”; cognate with Old Norse ār “early, anciently, of yore,” Gothic air “soon, early”; compare Old English ǣr “before, soon”; ere

Origin of or5

Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French -o ( u ) r < Latin -ōr-, stem of -or, extracted from -tōr -tor by construing the t as the ending of the past participle (hence Latin factor maker, equivalent to fac ( ere ) to make + -tor, was analyzed as fact ( us ), past participle of facere + -or ); merged with Anglo-French, Old French -ëo ( u ) r < Latin -ātōr- -ator; -eur

Origin of or6

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin aurum “gold”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of or1

C16: via French from Latin aurum gold

Origin of or2

via Old French -eur, -eor, from Latin -or or -ātor

Origin of or3

Old English ār soon; related to Old Norse ār early, Old High German ēr

Origin of or4

C13: contraction of other, used to introduce an alternative, changed (through influence of either ) from Old English oththe; compare Old High German odar (German oder )

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Example Sentences

As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.

Winners are solely responsible for any and all federal, state, and local taxes and/or fees that may be incurred.

Winners will be solely responsible for any and all local, state, and federal taxes, and/or fees that may be incurred.

Why aren't you as handsome and/or Canadian as Justin Bieber?

This band is different from the rock groups that go in for charismatic lighting and sing of love and/or sex.

His name was Lefty something-or-other, and he was about the sneakiest stool the department had.

Brass—or-molu—gilt platinum to give it weight; this is from Birmingham, not from Australia, nor nature.

He wuz very peart and sassy, and it was take-it-or-leave-it-and-be-plaguey- quick-about-it all the time.

Meanwhile the whale had made what appeared to be a grand and final neck-or-nothing rush in the direction of the shore.

Amatory, am′at-or-i, adj. relating to or causing love: affectionate.

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