rhizoverbBeta
Dictionaryor
conjunction

or

Used to connect alternatives or introduce another way of saying something.

You can pay with cash or use a credit card.

Etymology
orOld Englishor

Or developed from the older conjunction other, used to offer an alternative. It still joins alternatives and can introduce a restatement as another way of expressing the same thing.

More examples

  • Do you want soup or salad?
  • The cougar, or mountain lion, is a large wild cat.
  • Call or email me when you arrive.

Similar words

alternatively
Usually introduces an alternative sentence rather than linking individual words.