(used to connect words, phrases, or clauses representing alternatives).
books or magazines; to be or not to be.
(used to connect alternative terms for the same thing).
the Hawaiian, or Sandwich, Islands.
(used in correlation).
either … or; or … or; whether … or.
(used to correct or rephrase what was previously said).
His autobiography, or rather memoirs, will soon be ready for publication.
otherwise; or else.
Be here on time, or we'll leave without you.
Logic. the connective used in disjunction.
Law. on (one's own) recognizance.
operating room.
operations research.
Oregon (approved especially for use with zip code).
owner's risk.
used to join alternatives
apples or pears
apples or pears or cheese
apples, pears, or cheese
used to join rephrasings of the same thing
to serve in the army, or rather to fight in the army
twelve, or a dozen
used to join two alternatives when the first is preceded by either or whether
whether it rains or not we'll be there
either yes or no
a few
See else
a poetic word for either or whether as the first element in correlatives, with or also preceding the second alternative
operations research
Oregon
military other ranks
indicating state, condition, or activity
terror
error
the US spelling of -our
While the -or spelling of the suffix -or1 is characteristic of American English, there are occasional exceptions, as in advertising copy, where spellings such as colour and favour seek to suggest the allure and exclusiveness of a product. The spelling glamour is somewhat more common than glamor —not actually an instance of -or1, but conformed to it orthographically in the course of the word's history. In British English -our is still the spelling in most widespread use, -or being commonly retained when certain suffixes are added, as in color ation, honor ary, honor ific, labor ious, odor iferous. The English of the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) tends to mirror British practice, whereas Canadian English shares with the U.S. a preference for -or but with -our spellings as freely used variants. The suffix -or2 is now spelled -or in all forms of English, with the exception of the word savior, often spelled saviour in the U.S. as well as in Britain, especially with reference to Jesus.
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English, originally the second, unstressed member of correlative other … or, earlier other … other, Old English āther … oththe, ā-hwæther … oththe, for oththe … oththe either … or; cf. ay 1, whether
First recorded before 950; Middle English er, ar, or, Old English ār “before, soon, early”; cognate with Old Norse ār “early, anciently, of yore,” Gothic air “soon, early”; compare Old English ǣr “before, soon”; see ere
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin aurum “gold”
1940–45
From Latin; in some cases continuing Middle English -our, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin -ōr-, stem of -or, earlier -os
Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French -o ( u ) r < Latin -ōr-, stem of -or, extracted from -tōr -tor by construing the t as the ending of the past participle (hence Latin factor maker, equivalent to fac ( ere ) to make + -tor, was analyzed as fact ( us ), past participle of facere + -or ); merged with Anglo-French, Old French -ëo ( u ) r < Latin -ātōr- -ator; cf. -eur
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Intervention is more likely if the Houthis inflict significant infrastructure damage or commit a mass-casualty attack, but Riyadh’s precise trigger for escalation is unclear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Unfortunately for him — I’ll never stop believing her, protecting her, or reminding her that her voice matters.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
They concluded the studies did "not provide strong independent evidence of improved patient safety, acceptability or cost effectiveness".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Blume also said in the memo that he couldn’t guarantee the future of the Emden, Hannover, Zwickau or Neckarsulm plants in Germany.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
A crowbar is for lifting up or prying apart something heavy.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
This happened in Minneapolis on opening night, this happened in Los Angeles, in Portland, OR, in Atlanta, in New York City, in Chicago.
From Salon ● May 28, 2026
Shares in L’Oreal OR -4.71%decrease; red down pointing triangle slid after the French cosmetics giant closed last year with weaker-than-expected results amid a complex beauty market landscape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
The flight at the centre of the dispute arrived on Thursday, at South Africa's OR Tambo International Airport.
From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2025
“We built the OR room first. It was this new drama that was never gonna last — and now it’s one of the biggest dramas in the world. And it’s changed my life.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
OR may have same meaning as plagal cadence.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Ms Worrall redirects patients who come into the emergency department, sending them to a pharmacy or the GP if it is the most appropriate place -or to other areas within the hospital.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2023
"The West needs countries with which they can build supply chains that are not politically contentious and Latin America -or much of the region at least- has a historic closeness with the West," he said.
From Reuters ● Sep. 7, 2023
The fact that they have also been scrubbed from the site possibly indicates the level of caution being used -or simply that whole sections of Afghan-related material were hastily deleted in large batches.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 17, 2021
Greater conflict seems inevitable but which side will triumph -or even if there will be anything like a decisive victory and a new settlement - isn't clear.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2015
‘It might send down another snowfall-or -or close up the hole with you inside...’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
I, for one, would line up to buy that first book written not under the name O.R.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2023
Right, just like the time you made everyone walk backward around the O.R. to ward off bad luck.
From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2023
Jeremiah Watkins — I was on stage in the O.R. and there were like, eight audience members.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2022
International check-in counters stand empty after several airlines stopped flying out of South Africa because of the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, at O.R.
From Reuters ● Dec. 6, 2021
This was the hole that I had prayed for this O.R.
From O. Henry Memorial Award Prize Stories of 1921 by Marshall, Edison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.