or
1 Americanconjunction
-
(used to connect words, phrases, or clauses representing alternatives).
books or magazines; to be or not to be.
-
(used to connect alternative terms for the same thing).
the Hawaiian, or Sandwich, Islands.
-
(used in correlation).
either … or; or … or; whether … or.
-
(used to correct or rephrase what was previously said).
His autobiography, or rather memoirs, will soon be ready for publication.
-
otherwise; or else.
Be here on time, or we'll leave without you.
-
Logic. the connective used in disjunction.
preposition
noun
adjective
noun
abbreviation
-
Law. on (one's own) recognizance.
-
operating room.
-
operations research.
-
Oregon (approved especially for use with zip code).
-
owner's risk.
abbreviation
conjunction
-
used to join alternatives
apples or pears
apples or pears or cheese
apples, pears, or cheese
-
used to join rephrasings of the same thing
to serve in the army, or rather to fight in the army
twelve, or a dozen
-
used to join two alternatives when the first is preceded by either or whether
whether it rains or not we'll be there
either yes or no
-
a few
-
See else
-
a poetic word for either or whether as the first element in correlatives, with or also preceding the second alternative
abbreviation
-
operations research
-
Oregon
-
military other ranks
suffix
-
indicating state, condition, or activity
terror
error
-
the US spelling of -our
conjunction
preposition
suffix
adjective
Spelling
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.
Usage
Etymology
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
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 or3
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin aurum “gold”
Origin of OR4
1940–45
Origin of -or6
From Latin; in some cases continuing Middle English -our, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin -ōr-, stem of -or, earlier -os
Origin of -or7
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Not nervous or afraid of the moment. I think these are pretty good players.”
From Los Angeles Times
Since then, 107 people have attended his workshops, with some returning two or three times at different dark sky locations.
From BBC
We're getting to the third or fourth generation of people who see very few stars - if any, she explains.
From BBC
And areas of the brain linked with "ruminating on negative thoughts" are less active when looking at, or being in, nature, Setti adds.
From BBC
Liverpool have now restored their know-how when it comes to winning football matches - be that through late winners, gutsy displays on the road or simply improving their output from set-pieces.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
