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Word Study
or
CIDE DICTIONARY
or, conj. [OE. or, outher, other, auther, either, or, AS. āw, contr. from āhwæ; ā aye + hwæ whether. See Aye, and Whether, and cf. Either.].
A particle that marks an alternative; as, you may read or may write, -- that is, you may do one of the things at your pleasure, but not both. It corresponds to either . You may ride either to London or to Windsor. It often connects a series of words or propositions, presenting a choice of either; as, he may study law, or medicine, or divinity, or he may enter into trade. [1913 Webster]
" Or may be used to join as alternatives terms expressing unlike things or ideas (as, is the orange sour or sweet?), or different terms expressing the same thing or idea; as, this is a sphere, or globe." [1913 Webster]
"If man's convenience, health,
Or safety interfere, his rights and claims
Are paramount." [1913 Webster]
Or safety interfere, his rights and claims
Are paramount." [1913 Webster]
"Maugre thine heed, thou must for indigence
Or steal, or beg, or borrow thy dispence." [1913 Webster]
Or steal, or beg, or borrow thy dispence." [1913 Webster]
or, prep. & adv. [AS. r ere, before. Ere, prep. & adv. ].
Ere; before; sooner than. [1913 Webster]
"But natheless, while I have time and space,
Or that I forther in this tale pace." [1913 Webster]
Or that I forther in this tale pace." [1913 Webster]
or, n. [F., fr. L. aurum gold. Cf. Aureate.].
Yellow or gold color, -- represented in drawing or engraving by small dots. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
or, abbr.
1 operational research.
2 US Oregon (in official postal use).
3 other ranks.
1 operational research.
2 US Oregon (in official postal use).
3 other ranks.
or, conj.
1 a introducing the second of two alternatives (white or black). b introducing all but the first, or only the last, of any number of alternatives (white or grey or black; white, grey, or black).
2 (often prec. by either) introducing the only remaining possibility or choice given (take it or leave it; either come in or go out).
3 (prec. by whether) introducing the second part of an indirect question or conditional clause (ask him whether he was there or not; must go whether I like or dislike it).
4 introducing a synonym or explanation of a preceding word etc. (suffered from vertigo or giddiness).
5 introducing a significant afterthought (he must know - or is he bluffing?).
6 = or else (run or you'll be late).
7 poet. each of two; either (or in the heart or in the head).
1 a introducing the second of two alternatives (white or black). b introducing all but the first, or only the last, of any number of alternatives (white or grey or black; white, grey, or black).
2 (often prec. by either) introducing the only remaining possibility or choice given (take it or leave it; either come in or go out).
3 (prec. by whether) introducing the second part of an indirect question or conditional clause (ask him whether he was there or not; must go whether I like or dislike it).
4 introducing a synonym or explanation of a preceding word etc. (suffered from vertigo or giddiness).
5 introducing a significant afterthought (he must know - or is he bluffing?).
6 = or else (run or you'll be late).
7 poet. each of two; either (or in the heart or in the head).
Idiom
not A or B not A, and also not B. one or two (or two or three etc.) colloq. a few. or else
1 otherwise (do it now, or else you will have to do it tomorrow).
2 colloq. expressing a warning or threat (hand over the money or else). or rather introducing a rephrasing or qualification of a preceding statement etc. (he was there, or rather I heard that he was). or so (after a quantity or a number) or thereabouts (send me ten or so).
1 otherwise (do it now, or else you will have to do it tomorrow).
2 colloq. expressing a warning or threat (hand over the money or else). or rather introducing a rephrasing or qualification of a preceding statement etc. (he was there, or rather I heard that he was). or so (after a quantity or a number) or thereabouts (send me ten or so).
or, n. & adj. Heraldry
--n. a gold or yellow colour.
--adj. (usu. following noun) gold or yellow (a crescent or).
--n. a gold or yellow colour.
--adj. (usu. following noun) gold or yellow (a crescent or).
Etymology
F f. L aurum gold
THESAURUS
or
achievement, alerion, and/or, animal charge, annulet, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms, aureate, aureateness, auric, azure, bandeau, bar, bar sinister, baton, bearings, beige, bend, bend sinister, billet, blazon, blazonry, bordure, broad arrow, buff, buff-yellow, cadency mark, canary, canary-yellow, canton, chaplet, charge, chevron, chief, citron, citron-yellow, coat of arms, cockatrice, coronet, cream, creamy, crescent, crest, cross, cross moline, crown, device, difference, differencing, eagle, ecru, ermine, ermines, erminites, erminois, escutcheon, falcon, fallow, fallowness, fess, fess point, field, file, flanch, flaxen, fleur-de-lis, fret, fur, fusil, garland, gilded, gilt, gold, gold-colored, golden, griffin, gules, gyron, hatchment, helmet, heraldic device, honor point, impalement, impaling, inescutcheon, label, lemon, lemon-yellow, lion, lozenge, luteolous, lutescent, mantling, marshaling, martlet, mascle, metal, motto, mullet, nombril point, ocherish, ocherous, ochery, ochreous, ochroid, ochrous, ochry, octofoil, ordinary, orle, pale, paly, pean, pheon, primrose, primrose-colored, primrose-yellow, purpure, quarter, quartering, rose, sable, saffron, saffron-colored, saffron-yellow, sallow, saltire, sand-colored, sandy, scutcheon, shield, spread eagle, straw, straw-colored, subordinary, tenne, tincture, torse, tressure, unicorn, vair, vert, wreath, xanthic, xanthous, yale, yellow, yellowish, yellowishness, yellownessROGET THESAURUS
or
Yellowness
N yellowness, yellow, or, gamboge, cadmium-yellow, chrome-yellow, Indian-yellow king's-yellow, lemonyellow, orpiment, yellow ocher, Claude tint, aureolin, xanthein, xanthin, zaofulvin, crocus, saffron, topaz, xanthite, yolk, jaundice, London fog, yellowness, icterus, xantho- cyanopia, xanthopsia, yellow, aureate, golden, flavous, citrine, fallow, fulvous, fulvid, sallow, luteous, tawny, creamy, sandy, xanthic, xanthous, jaundiced, auricomous, gold-colored, citron-colored, saffron-colored, lemon-colored, lemon yellow, sulphur-colored, amber-colored, straw-colored, primrose- colored, creamcolored, xanthocarpous, xanthochroid, xanthopous, yellow as a quince, yellow as a guinea, yellow as a crow's foot, warm, advancing.Orange
N orange, red and yellow, gold, or, flame color, ocher, Mars'orange, cadmium, cardinal bird, cardinal flower, cardinal grosbeak, cardinal lobelia (a flowering plant), orange, ochreous, orange-colored, gold-colored, flame-colored, copper-colored, brass-colored, apricot-colored, warm, hot, glowing.Also see definition of "or" in Bible Study Dictionaries
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