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or
or1 / ôr/ • conj. 1. used to link alternatives: a cup of tea or coffee are you coming or not? she couldn't read or write I either take taxis or walk everywhere it doesn't matter whether the theory is right or wrong. 2. introducing a synonym or explanation of a preceding word or phrase: the espionage novel, or, as it is known in the trade, the thriller. 3. otherwise (used to introduce the consequences of something not being done or not being the case): hurry up, or you'll miss it all. 4. introducing an afterthought, usually in the form of a question: John's indifference—or was it?—left her unsettled. 5. poetic/lit. either: to love is the one way to know or God or man. • n. (often OR) Electr. a Boolean operator that gives the value one if at least one operand (or input) has a value of one, and otherwise has a value of zero. ∎ (also OR gate) a circuit that gives an output signal if there is a signal on any of its inputs. PHRASES: or else see else. or so (after a quantity) approximately: a dozen or so people. or2 • n. gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture: a bend or. |
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"or." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "or." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-or005.html "or." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-or005.html |
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or
or2 particle introducing an alternative. XII. reduced form of †other (XII–XV), app. alt. of OE. oööe by assim. of the ending to words expressing an alternative, as either, whether (cf. the alt. of OHG. odo, MHG. ode, to odar, oder by assim. to weder neither).
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T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-or1.html T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-or1.html |
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or1 (adv., prep., conj.) before; sooner, ere; rather than. XIII (from XV often in or ever, or e'er, or ere). late Nhb. OE. ār early, ME. (in Scandinavianized areas) ār, later q̄r — ON. ár = OE. ǣr ERE.
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T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-or.html T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-or.html |
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or
or gold or yellow, as a heraldic tincture. Recorded from the early 16th century, the word comes via French from Latin aurum ‘gold’. It is one of the two metals used in heraldry, the other being argent.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "or." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "or." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-or.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "or." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-or.html |
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OR
OR • abbr. ∎ operational research. ∎ Oregon (in official postal use). |
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"OR." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "OR." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-or.html "OR." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-or.html |
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or
or3 (her.) the tincture gold or yellow. XVI. — (O)F.:— L. aurum.
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-or2.html T. F. HOAD. "or." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-or2.html |
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OR
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JOHN DAINTITH. "OR." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN DAINTITH. "OR." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-OR.html JOHN DAINTITH. "OR." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-OR.html |
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OR
OR abbr. Brit. other ranks (as opposed to commissioned officers).
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"OR." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "OR." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-OR.html "OR." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-OR.html |
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Or
Or See ALKALI FELDSPAR.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Or." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Or." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Or.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Or." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Or.html |
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or
or •abhor, adore, afore, anymore, ashore, awe, bandore, Bangalore, before, boar, Boer, bore, caw, chore, claw, cocksure, comprador, cor, core, corps, craw, Delors, deplore, door, draw, drawer, evermore, explore, flaw, floor, for, forbore, fore, foresaw, forevermore, forswore, four, fourscore, furthermore, Gábor, galore, gnaw, gore, grantor, guarantor, guffaw, hard-core, Haugh, haw, hoar, ignore, implore, Indore, interwar, jaw, Johor, Lahore, law, lessor, lor, lore, macaw, man-o'-war, maw, mirador, mor, more, mortgagor, Mysore, nevermore, nor, oar, obligor, offshore, onshore, or, ore, outdoor, outwore, paw, poor, pore, pour, rapport, raw, roar, saw, scaur, score, senhor, señor, shaw, ship-to-shore, shop-floor, shore, signor, Singapore, snore, soar, softcore, sore, spore, squaw, store, straw, swore, Tagore, tau, taw, thaw, Thor, threescore, tor, tore, torr, trapdoor, tug-of-war, two-by-four, underfloor, underscore, war, warrantor, Waugh, whore, withdraw, wore, yaw, yore, your
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"or." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "or." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-or.html "or." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-or.html |
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