(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.
Law. on (one's own) recognizance.
operating room.
operations research.
Oregon (approved especially for use with zip code).
owner's risk.
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
operations research
Oregon
military other ranks
indicating state, condition, or activity
terror
error
the US spelling of -our
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.
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; cf. ay 1, whether
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”; see ere
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin aurum “gold”
1940–45
From Latin; in some cases continuing Middle English -our, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin -ōr-, stem of -or, earlier -os
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; cf. -eur
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The right response depends on whether the shock remains concentrated or becomes embedded in the U.S. economy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The cruise line on Tuesday posted net income of $1.13 billion, or $4.20 a share, for its three months ended June 30, down from $1.21 billion, or $4.41 a share, a year earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Raising rates would only suppress demand without producing another barrel of oil or improving the weather.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Recently, he said, the Brinker leadership team brainstormed a few dozen possible use cases, and out of that, he found six or seven worth looking into.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
She thinks of the people at the Tala Leprosarium in Novaliches, who don’t have beds of their own, or even clean water.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
This happened in Minneapolis on opening night, this happened in Los Angeles, in Portland, OR, in Atlanta, in New York City, in Chicago.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
As the OR doors closed, a nurse handed me a plastic baggie containing my wife’s wedding ring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
When the snow settled, Chris Scott Thomason, of Bend, OR, had disappeared.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2026
The flight at the centre of the dispute arrived on Thursday, at South Africa's OR Tambo International Airport.
From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2025
She nearly collapses as the OR doors swing shut on her.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
"The West needs countries with which they can build supply chains that are not politically contentious and Latin America -or much of the region at least- has a historic closeness with the West," he said.
From Reuters ● Sep. 7, 2023
Not a single one of those wins -or any of Denver’s 13 victories this year - has been a runaway.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 22, 2016
Greater conflict seems inevitable but which side will triumph -or even if there will be anything like a decisive victory and a new settlement - isn't clear.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2015
Does the perfect goal exist outside of a match's context, or does the effect it has on the match -or season, or tournament - act as some sort of multiplication factor?
From BBC ● May 23, 2015
‘It might send down another snowfall-or -or close up the hole with you inside...’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
A juror in the trial of A.I. author O.R.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2023
Passengers wait to board international flights, amidst the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron, at O.R.
From Reuters ● Dec. 15, 2021
“No one is going to the O.R. and interfere in that process,” Wolf said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2019
Afterward, Giulianotti and I went to a small room outside the O.R., where various physicians were typing into terminals.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 23, 2019
Make the effort, appear to fight with every weapon, that the O.R.
From O. Henry Memorial Award Prize Stories of 1921 by Marshall, Edison
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.
