I. _ə(r), (|)ȯ(ə)r, (|)ȯ(ə), in southern US also (|)ä(r) conjunction
Etymology: Middle English other, or, from Old English oththe, oththa, eththa; akin to Old High German eddo, odo, odar or, Old Norse etha, Gothic aiththau
1. — used as a function word to indicate (1) an alternative between different or unlike things, states, or actions
wolves or bears are never seen in that part of the country
sick or well, he should not be here
eat or go hungry is all the same to him
(2) choice between alternative things, states, or courses
will you have tea or coffee
decide to study medicine or law
to be, or not to be: that is the question — Shakespeare
(3) the synonymous, equivalent, or substitutive character of two words or phrases
fell over a precipice or cliff
the off or far side
lessen or abate
(4) correction or greater exactness of phrasing or meaning
these essays, or rather rough sketches
the present king had no children — or no legitimate children — Max Peacock
(5) approximation, doubt, or uncertainty
will be Tuesday or Wednesday before he arrives
in five or six days
it's scarlet fever or diphtheria
(6) succession by turns
one or the other will watch over him all night
(7) the operation or logical connective symbolized by v or by + — compare truth table
2. archaic : either — used with a second paired or
no man can or foretoken or forefend — Walter de la Mare
3. : or else : otherwise
do what I say, or you'll suffer the consequences
pay or I'll sue
4. archaic : whether — used with a second paired or
or rich or poor — Baltimore (Md.) Sun
5. : on another occasion : as another instance : again
or , an electron may serve merely to measure — L.A.White
II. preposition
Etymology: Middle English ar, or, preposition & conjunction, from ar, or, adverb, early, earlier, before, from Old Norse ār early — more at ere
chiefly dialect : before
III. conjunction
Etymology: Middle English ar, or
1. chiefly dialect : sooner than : until , before , ere
or the porter was at the gate, the boy was in the hall — Ballad Book
2. chiefly dialect : than
IV. ˈȯ(ə)r, ˈȯ(ə) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French, gold, from Latin aurum — more at oriole
1. : a heraldic metal conventionally supposed to be the color of gold but in practice also represented as any of various shades of yellow
2. : the color gold or the color yellow represented in drawing or engraving by small dots — compare tincture
V. adjective
: being of the heraldic metal or : golden , yellow
VI. abbreviation
1. oriental
2. original