[or] conj [ME, alter. of other, alter. of OE oththe; akin to OHG eddo or] (13c) 1--used as a function word to indicate an alternative "coffee ~ tea" "sink ~ swim", the equivalent or substitutive character of two words or phrases "lessen ~ abate", or approximation or uncertainty "in five ~ 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
[2]or prep [ME, fr. or, adv., early, before, fr. ON ar; akin to OE aer early--more at ere] (13c) archaic: before [3]or conj (13c) archaic: before [4]or n [ME, fr. MF, gold, fr. L aurum--more at aureus] (15c): the heraldic color gold or yellow OR n [[1]or] (1947): 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 "~ gate in a computer"