or

I. conjunction Etymology: Middle English, alteration of other, alteration of Old English oththe; akin to Old High German eddo or Date: 13th century 1. — used as a function word to indicate an alternative <

coffee or tea

> <

sink or swim

>, the equivalent or substitutive character of two words or phrases <

lessen or abate

>, or approximation or uncertainty <

in five or 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 II. preposition Etymology: Middle English, from or, adverb, early, before, from Old Norse ār; akin to Old English ǣr early — more at ere Date: 13th century archaic before III. conjunction Date: 13th century archaic before IV. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, gold, from Latin aurum — more at aureus Date: 15th century the heraldic color gold or yellow