or

¹or

conjunction \ər, ˈȯr, Southern also ˈär\

Definition of OR

1

—used as a function word to indicate an alternative <coffee or tea> <sink or swim>, the equivalent or substitutive character of two words or phrases <lessen or abate>, or approximation or uncertainty <in five or six days>

2

archaic : either

3

archaic : whether

4

—used in logic as a sentential connective that forms a complex sentence which is true when at least one of its constituent sentences is true — compare disjunction

Origin of OR

Middle English, alteration of other, alteration of Old English oththe; akin to Old High German eddo or

First Known Use: 13th century

Rhymes with OR

boar, Boer, bore, chore, cor, core, corps, crore, door, floor, for, fore, four, frore, gore, Gore, hoar, lore, mor, more, nor, o'er, oar, ore, poor, pore, pour, roar, score, shore, snore, soar, sore, splore, spoor, spore, store, Thor, tor, torr, war, whore, yore, your

²or

preposition

Definition of OR

archaic

: before

Origin of OR

Middle English, from or, adverb, early, before, from Old Norse ār; akin to Old English ǣr early — more at ere

First Known Use: 13th century

³or

conjunction

Definition of OR

archaic

: before

First Known Use of OR

13th century

⁴or

noun \ˈȯr\

Definition of OR

: the heraldic color gold or yellow

Origin of OR

Middle English, from Anglo-French, gold, from Latin aurum — more at aureus

First Known Use: 15th century

¹OR

noun \ˈȯr\

Definition of OR

: a logical operator that requires either of two inputs to be present or conditions to be met for an output to be made or a statement to be executed <OR gate in a computer>

Origin of OR

¹or

First Known Use: circa 1956

Other Computer-Related Terms

adware, flash, kludge, phishing, recursive, router

²OR

abbreviation

Definition of OR

1

operating room

2

operational research; operations research

3

Oregon

4

owner's risk

5

own recognizance