Definition of or
What does the word or mean?
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part of speech: preposition, conjunction
(archaic). Before, ere, (chiefly now in or ever, or e\'er, poet.). [old English]
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part of speech: noun
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part of speech: noun
conj. introducing second of two alternatives (white or black), all but the first (white or grey or black) or only the last (white, grey, or black) of any number, the second of each of several pairs (white or black, red or yellow, blue or green), or (poet.) each of two (or in the heart or in the head). An alternative introduced by or may be (1) on equal footing with preceding (shall you be there or not?; any Tom, Dick, or Harry), (2) true of other instances (ripe tomatoes are red or yellow), (3) mere synonym (common or garden), (4) indication that preceding is doubtfully accurate (one or two, five or six, &c., a few), (5) explanation of preceding (saw a dug-out or hollowed-tree boat), (6) statement of only remaining possibility or choice given (often after either; a thing must surely be or not be; for goodness sake either take it or leave it), (7) statement of result of rejection &c. of preceding (often with else; she must weep or she must die; make haste, or else you will be late), (8) second &c. member of indirect question or conditional protasis after whether (ask him whether he was there or not; must do it whether I like or dislike it). In syntax, a set of alternatives with or is sing. if each member is sing. (man or woman, boy or girl, goes unmolested; not go); if the members differ in number &c., the nearest prevails (were you or he, was he or you, there?; either he or you were, either you or he was), but some forms (e.g., was I or you on duty?) are avoided; forms in which difference of gender in the members causes difficulty with pronouns (a landlord or landlady expects their, his or her, his, rent) are usually avoided, their rent or the rent due to them being ungrammatical, his or her rent or the rent due to him or her clumsy, & his rent or the rent due to him slovenly. [old English]
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