or
1[awr; unstressed er]
conjunction
(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.
Origin of or
1Usage note
or
2[awr]
preposition, conjunction Chiefly Irish, Scot., and English.
Origin of or
2before 950; Middle English, Old English ār soon, early; cognate with Old Norse ār, Gothic air early; compare Old English ǣr soon, before, ere
or
3[awr]Heraldry.
noun
adjective
Origin of or
31400–50; late Middle English < Middle French < Latin aurum gold
OR
[awr]
noun
Origin of OR
1940–45
OR
-or
1Origin of -or
1< Latin; in some cases continuing Middle English -our < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin -ōr-, stem of -or, earlier -os
Usage 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.
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.
-or
2Origin of -or
2Middle 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
O.R.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for or
alternative, uncertainty, substitute, either, conversely, preferentially, instead, rather, oppositely, about, approximately, practically, roughly, else, ere, otherwiseor
1conjunction (coordinating)
See also exclusive or, inclusive or
Word Origin for or
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)
or
2conjunction
preposition
Word Origin for or
Old English ār soon; related to Old Norse ār early, Old High German ēr
or
3adjective
Word Origin for or
C16: via French from Latin aurum gold
OR
abbreviation for
-or
1suffix forming nouns
Word Origin for -or
via Old French -eur, -eor, from Latin -or or -ātor
-or
2suffix forming nouns
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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-or
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper