Or vs. Er — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Or and Er
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Compare with Definitions
Or
Used to indicate an alternative, usually only before the last term of a series
Hot or cold.
This, that, or the other.
Er
Used to express hesitation or uncertainty.
Or
Used to indicate the second of two alternatives, the first being preceded by either or whether
Your answer is either ingenious or wrong. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Er
Said when hesitating in speech.
Or
(Archaic) Used to indicate the first of two alternatives, with the force of either or whether.
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Er
(informal) To utter the word "er" when hesitating in speech, found in the phrase um and er.
He ummed and erred his way through the presentation.
Or
Used to indicate a synonymous or equivalent expression
Acrophobia, or fear of great heights.
Er
The chemical symbol for erbium, a rare earth element. It has atomic number 68 and an atomic weight of 167.26.
Or
Used to indicate uncertainty or indefiniteness
Two or three.
Er
A trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium
Or
Before. Followed by ever or ere
"I doubt he will be dead or ere I come" (Shakespeare).
Er
A room in a hospital or clinic staffed and equipped to provide emergency care to persons requiring immediate medical treatment
Or
A logical operator that returns a true value if one or both operands are true.
Or
Gold, represented in heraldic engraving by a white field sprinkled with small dots.
Or
Before.
Or
(logic) An operator denoting the disjunction of two propositions or truth values. There are two forms, the inclusive or and the exclusive or.
Or
Otherwise a consequence of the condition that the previous is false.
It's raining! Come inside or you'll catch a cold!
Or
(tincture) The gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms.
Or
(tincture) Of gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms.
Or
(obsolete) Early (on).
Or
(obsolete) Earlier, previously.
Or
Before; ere. Followed by "ever" or "ere".
Or
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.
If man's convenience, health,Or safety interfere, his rights and claimsAre paramount.
Maugre thine heed, thou must for indigenceOr steal, or beg, or borrow thy dispence.
Or
Ere; before; sooner than.
But natheless, while I have time and space,Or that I forther in this tale pace.
Or
Yellow or gold color, - represented in drawing or engraving by small dots.
Or
A state in northwestern United States on the Pacific
Or
A room in a hospital equipped for the performance of surgical operations;
Great care is taken to keep the operating rooms aseptic
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