From Middle Englishor; partially contracted from other, auther, from Old Englishāþor, āwþer, āhwæþer("some, any, either"; > either); and partially from Middle Englishoththe, from Old Englishoþþe, from Proto-Germanic*efþau(“or”).
Conjunction
or
Connects at least two alternative words, phrases, clauses, sentences, etc. each of which could make a passage true. In English, this is the "inclusive or." The "exclusive or" is formed by "either[…]or".
(logic)An operator denoting the disjunction of two propositions or truth values. There are two forms, the inclusive or and the exclusive or.
Counts the elements before and after as two possibilities.
Otherwise (a consequence of the condition that the previous is false).
Connects two equivalent names.
Synonyms
and/or
Translations
See also
neither
nor
i.e.
Etymology 2
From Etymology 1 (sense 2 above)
Noun
or (pluralors)
(logic, electronics)Alternative form of OR
See also
and
nand
nor
xor
Etymology 3
Borrowed from Old Frenchor(“yellow”), from Latinaurum(“gold”). Doublet of aurum.
Noun
or (countable and uncountable, pluralors)
(heraldry) The gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms.
1909, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry
The metals are gold and silver, these being termed "or" and "argent".
Synonyms
(gold or yellow tincture):o., Or
Related terms
Au(chemical symbol for gold)
Translations
Adjective
or (not comparable)
(heraldry) Of gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms.
Synonyms
gold
Translations
Etymology 4
Late Old Englishār, from Old Norseár. Compare ere.
Adverb
or
(obsolete) Early (on).
(obsolete) Earlier, previously.
Preposition
or
(now archaic or dialect) Before; ere. Followed by "ever" or "ere".
1834, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
I looked to heaven, and tried to pray;
But or ever a prayer had gusht,
A wicked whisper came, and made
My heart as dry as dust.
Anagrams
R&O, RO, r/o
Aromanian
Alternative forms
oru, auredz, auredzu, aor, aoru
Etymology
From Latinōrō. Compare Daco-Romanianura, urez.
Verb
or (past participleuratã)
I pray.
Synonyms
angrec, ngrec
pricad
ncljin
pãlãcãrsescu, pãrãcãlsescu
rog
Related terms
urari / urare
urat
urãciuni
Basque
Alternative forms
hor (Souletin)
Etymology
1103; variant of hor, from Proto-Basque*hoŕ. Mostly replaced by zakur.
Pronunciation
(standard) IPA(key): /or/
Noun
oranim
dog
Declension
Synonyms
txakur
zakur
Further reading
“or” in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus
“or” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus
Catalan
Etymology
From a variant of Old Occitanaur, from Latinaurum, from Proto-Italic*auzom, from Proto-Indo-European*h₂é-h₂us-o-(“glow”), from *h₂ews-(“to dawn, become light, become red”).
Pronunciation
(Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /ˈɔr/
(Valencian) IPA(key): /ˈɔɾ/
Noun
orm (pluralors)
gold
(heraldry)or
Derived terms
Costa d'Or
French
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ɔʁ/
Rhymes: -ɔʁ
Etymology 1
From Middle Frenchor, from Old Frenchor, from Latinaurum, from Proto-Italic*auzom, from Proto-Indo-European*h₂é-h₂us-o-(“glow”), from *h₂ews-(“to dawn, become light, become red”).
Noun
orm (pluralors)
gold
(heraldry)or(yellow in heraldry)
Related terms
aurifère
dorer
orfèvre
Descendants
Haitian Creole: lò
See also
Appendix:Colors
Etymology 2
From Vulgar Latinhā horā, alteration of hāc horā.
Adverb
or
(obsolete) now, presently
Conjunction
or
yet, however, now
Further reading
“or” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Ido
Etymology
Borrowing from Frenchor, Italianora and Spanishahora.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ɔr/
Conjunction
or
now, but (in argument)
Usage notes
Or expresses not only a sequence of two propositions, but induces a new argument, a further premise, explanation, motive. When the premise (motive) follows the conclusion, nam is used instead.
Interlingue
Conjunction
or
but, yet
Italian
Adverb
or
Apocopic form of ora (now), used almost exclusively in the archaic forms or ora (just now) and or sono (ago), the latter with an indication of the time elapsed until the present
Tre anni or sono comprammo questa casa – It is (now) three years since we bought this house / Three years ago we bought this house
Ho trovato quasi più giovani e certo più belle le signore ch'io conobbi or sono dodici anni a Bologna – I found the ladies I knew twelve years ago in Bologna almost(?) younger and certainly more beautiful
— Ugo Foscolo
Derived terms
ormai
or ora
or sono
Middle English
Etymology 1
Determiner
or
Alternative form of youre
References
“your (pron.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 20 May 2018.
Etymology 2
Determiner
or
(chiefly early and West Midland dialectal)Alternative form of here(“their”)
References
“her(e (pron.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 12 June 2018.
Middle French
Alternative forms
aur
Etymology
From Old Frenchor.
Noun
orm (uncountable)
gold (metal)
gold (color)
Descendants
French: or
Haitian Creole: lò
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Old Norseǫlr, órir
Noun
orf or m (definite singularoraororen, indefinite pluralorer, definite pluralorene)