or
or Lexical Profile
or Game Scores & Validity
• conjunction
Used to link alternatives or choices between words, phrases, or clauses.
"Would you prefer tea or coffee with your breakfast?"
Used to introduce a synonym, an equivalent term, or an explanation of a preceding word or phrase.
"Botany, or the scientific study of plants, is a foundational branch of biology."
Used to indicate an consequence or undesirable result if a preceding condition is not met; otherwise.
"You should hurry up, or we will miss the beginning of the lecture."
• noun
The tincture of gold or yellow on a coat of arms, represented in monochrome engravings by a pattern of small dots (in heraldry).
"The noble family's shield featured a lion rampant on a field of or."
Word Nuance & Usage
When 'or' connects two singular subjects, the verb is singular, but if it connects a singular and a plural subject, the verb typically agrees with the closer subject.
• Rhymes for or
Word Origin & Etymology
The conjunction derives from Middle English 'or', a reduced form of Old English 'āhwæther' ('either of two'). The heraldic noun is borrowed from Old French 'or', from Latin 'aurum' ('gold').