Etimology
From Middle English or; partially contracted from other, auther, from Old English āþor, āwþer, āhwæþer ("some, any, either"; > either); and partially from Middle English oththe, from Old English oþþe, 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.
(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.
Examples
You may either stay or come.
He might get cancer, or be hit by a bus, or God knows what.
It's raining! Come inside or you'll catch a cold!
No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.
The country Myanmar, or Burma
Etimology
From Etymology 1 (sense 2 above).
noun
or (plural ors)
(logic, electronics) Alternative form of OR
Etimology
Borrowed from Middle French or (“yellow”), from Old French or, from Latin aurum (“gold”). Doublet of aurum.
noun
or (countable and uncountable, plural ors)
(heraldry) The gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms.
Examples
The metals are gold and silver, these being termed "or" and "argent".
In engraving, "Or" is expressed by dots.
or:
Related words
synonyms
(gold or yellow tincture): o., Or
related terms
Au (chemical symbol for gold)
adjective
or (not comparable)
(heraldry) Of gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms.
Related words
synonyms
gold
Etimology
Late Old English ār, from Old Norse ár. Compare ere.
adverb
or
(obsolete) Early (on).
(obsolete) Earlier, previously.
preposition
or
(now archaic or dialect) Before; ere. Followed by "ever" or "ere".
Examples
Or euer the siluer corde be loosed, or the golden bowle be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountaine, or the wheele broken at the cisterne. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall returne vnto God who gaue it.
I looked to heaven, and tried to pray;But or ever a prayer had gusht,A wicked whisper came, and madeMy heart as dry as dust.
And Time went forth into the worlds to obey the commands of the gods, yet he cast furtive glances at his masters, and the gods distrusted Time because he had known the worlds or ever the gods became.