(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 rest consists of regular, or “nominal,” Treasury bonds that have no protection against inflation.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
“It turns out that the rumors about the end or the significant dwindling of the missiles were wrong,” said Tal Inbar, a senior analyst at the U.S.-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Many investors right now may turn their noses up at the idea of locking in a 3% yield for years or even decades, Elliott points out.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Dozens of companies are pursuing new designs for commercial small modular reactors, or SMRs, the kind of reactor that would be used at the port.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
On the other side, Dr. Harlow is a Localizer, or at least he is a friend of some leading Localizers/Phrenologists.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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
L’Oreal OR -6.32%decrease; red down pointing triangle shares dropped after the French cosmetics company reported third-quarter sales that fell short of analyst expectations on Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
“We built the OR room first. It was this new drama that was never gonna last — and now it’s one of the biggest dramas in the world. And it’s changed my life.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
His mom was an OR nurse for 10 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2025
The OR doors swing open, and Dr. Hamid comes through with a small entourage of surgeons.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
Approximately 0.5% of Etsy's active sellers -or around 2,700 merchants- had their payments delayed on Friday related to SVB's collapse, according to Etsy.
From Reuters ● Mar. 13, 2023
Maurina says he knows journalists need to go back to the basics to survive -or revive - in small-town America.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 10, 2019
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
Haymitch is our only hope, but nothing is forthcoming, either from lack of money -everything will cost an exorbitant amount -or because he's dissatisfied with our performance.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
I, for one, would line up to buy that first book written not under the name O.R.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2023
Jeremiah Watkins — I was on stage in the O.R. and there were like, eight audience members.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2022
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
The patient was moved to the O.R., and a cardiologist inserted a thick needle into the fluid-filled sac.
From New York Times ● Sep. 8, 2021
Well"—and Barstow stood off and laughed—"if I have to diagram things for you, the money interests behind 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.
