or1

Syllabification: (or)

Pronunciation: /ôr/

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Definition of or

conjunction

1used 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

2introducing a synonym or explanation of a preceding word or phrase:the espionage novel, or, as it is known in the trade, the thriller

3otherwise (used to introduce the consequences of something not being done or not being the case):hurry up, or you’ll miss it all

4introducing an afterthought, usually in the form of a question:John’s indifference—or was it?—left her unsettled

5 literary either:to love is the one way to know or God or man

noun

(often OR) Electronics

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

Origin:

Middle English: a reduced form of the obsolete conjunction other (which superseded Old English oththe 'or'), of uncertain ultimate origin

1 Where a verb follows a list separated by or, the traditional rule is that the verb should be singular, as long as the things in the list are individually singular, as in a sandwich or other snack is included in the price (rather than a sandwich or other snack are included in the price). The argument is that each of the elements agrees separately with the verb. The opposite rule applies when the elements are joined by and—here the verb should be plural: a sandwich and a cup of coffee are included in the price. These traditional rules are observed in good English writing style but are often disregarded in speech. 2 On the use of either ... or, see either (usage).

or in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of or in the British & World English dictionary

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Other

or1

conjunction

noun

Phrases

or else

or so

Origin:

or in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

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