nor

[ nawr; unstressed ner ]

/ nɔr; unstressed nər /

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conjunction

(used in negative phrases, especially after neither, to introduce the second member in a series, or any subsequent member): Neither he nor I will be there. They won't wait for you, nor for me, nor for anybody.

(used to continue the force of a negative, asnot, no, never, etc., occurring in a preceding clause): He left and I never saw him again, nor did I regret it.

(used after an affirmative clause, or as a continuative, in the sense of and not): They are happy, nor need we worry.

Older Use. than.

Archaic. (used without a preceding neither, the negative force of which is understood): He nor I was there.

Archaic. (used instead of neither as correlative to a following nor): Nor he nor I was there.

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Origin of nor

1300–50; Middle English, contraction of nother,Old English nōther, equivalent to ne not + ōther (contraction of ōhwæther) either; cf. or¹

grammar notes for nor

See neither.

Other definitions for nor (2 of 5)

NOR

[ nawr ]

/ nɔr /

noun

a Boolean operator that returns a positive result when both operands are negative.

Origin of NOR

1955–60

Other definitions for nor (3 of 5)

nor-

a combining form used in the names of chemical compounds which are the normal or parent forms of the compound denoted by the base words: l-norepinephrine.

Origin of nor-

Short for normal

Other definitions for nor (4 of 5)

nor.

abbreviation

north.

northern.

Other definitions for nor (5 of 5)

Nor.

abbreviation

Norman.

North.

Northern.

Norway.

Norwegian.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nor in a sentence

Perhaps though, no city was as silently-failing-nor-publically-rehabilitating as Las Vegas.
A Tech Millionaire Bets on the Urban Revival of Downtown Las Vegas|Sarah Kunst|January 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We are introduced successively to the Palestinian, the Assimilator, and the Neither-here-nor-there.
The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century|Leo Wiener
Abnormal, ab-nor′mal, adj. not normal or according to rule: irregular—also Abnor′mous.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
I have experienced many sandstorms in Takla-makan and the Lob-nor desert, but hardly any so bad as this was.
Trans-Himalaya, Vol. 2 (of 2)|Sven Hedin

He gave me also much valuable information about the country round Nam-tso or Tengri-nor, where he was born.
Trans-Himalaya, Vol. 2 (of 2)|Sven Hedin
Swinburne dismisses him in two lines: Maximilian is a good-natured, neither here-nor-there kind of youth.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume I (of 3)|Alexander Wheelock Thayer

British Dictionary definitions for nor (1 of 2)

nor

/ (nɔː, unstressed nə) /

conjunction, preposition (coordinating)

neither ... nor (used to join alternatives) and notneither measles nor mumps

(foll by an auxiliary verb or have, do, or be used as main verbs) (and) not … eitherthey weren't talented — nor were they particularly funny

dialect thanbetter nor me

poetic neithernor wind nor rain

Word Origin for nor

C13: contraction of Old English nōther, from nāhwæther neither

British Dictionary definitions for nor (2 of 2)

nor-

combining form

indicating that a chemical compound is derived from a specified compound by removal of a group or groupsnoradrenaline

indicating that a chemical compound is a normal isomer of a specified compound

Word Origin for nor-

by shortening from normal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with nor

nor

see hide nor hair; neither fish nor fowl; neither here nor there; rhyme or reason (neither rhyme nor reason).