Search Chambers
Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.
Search Results for 'OR'
OR abbreviation 1 operational research; operations research. 2 US state Oregon. Also written Ore. or Oreg. 3 military other ranks.
or1 conj used to introduce: 1 alternatives • red or pink or blue. 2 a synonym or explanation • a puppy or young dog. 3 an afterthought • She's laughing - or is she crying? 4 the second part of an indirect question • Ask her whether she thinks he'll come or not. 5 because if not; or else • Run or you'll be late. 6 and not • never joins in or helps. or else 1 otherwise. 2 colloq expressing a threat or warning • Give it to me or else! or rather or to be more accurate • He went too, or rather I heard he did. or so about; roughly • been there two hours or so.
ETYMOLOGY: 13c: a contraction of other.
or2 noun, heraldry a gold colour.
ETYMOLOGY: 16c: French, from Latin aurum gold.
-or suffix, forming nouns, denoting a person or thing that performs an action or function • actor • elevator.
ETYMOLOGY: Latin.
Hard copies of both the Chambers 21st Century Dictionary and the current edition of The Chambers Thesaurus are available to buy.
A major new edition of the Chambers Biographical Dictionary will be published in August 2010. For more information visit the Hodder Education website.
