-or

See also: Appendix:Variations of "or"

English

Alternative forms

• -our (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From Middle English -our, from Old French -eor, from Latin -ātor; reinforced by Old French -or and its source, Latin -tor, -tōrem.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ə/
• (General American, Canada) enPR: ər, IPA^(key): /ɚ/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ə/
• Homophones: -er; -a (non-rhotic)

Suffix

-or

2. Creates an agent noun, often from a verb, indicating a person or object (often machines or parts of them) that do the verb or part of speech with which they are formed.

   Synonyms: -er, (casual) -ster

   Hyponyms: -a, -ess, -ette, -trix

   Coordinate term: (converse form; one who receives from the actor) -ee

   ‎settle + ‎-or → ‎settlor

   ‎survive + ‎-or → ‎survivor

3. (electrical science) Appended to the names of members of classes of components, especially those that have an extensive property name of the same root suffixed with -ance

   Resistors possess resistance and inductors possess inductance.

Usage notes

In Latin-derived words, English generally appends this suffix where Latin would do it—to the root of a perfect passive participle (i.e. past participle). For other words, English tends to use the suffix -er. Occasionally both are used (protester vs. protestor).

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -or

abductor

aberuncator

ablator

abnegator

abominator

abrogator

absquatulator

abstractor

acanthor

accelerator

accentor

accentuator

accessor

acclimator

accommodator

accretor

accumulator

accusor

acetylator

activator

actor

actuator

adaptor

adductor

adjustor

adjutator

adoptor

advisor

advocator

aerator

aestivator

affector

agglutinator

aggravator

aggregator

agistor

agitator

alkylator

allegator

alleviator

alliterator

allocator

alternator

ambiguator

amputator

animator

annihilator

annotator

anticipator

applicator

appointor

appreciator

appropriator

armor

arrestor

articulator

asphyxiator

aspirator

assassinator

assentor

assignor

assistor

assizor

associator

assuror

-ator

attemperator

attenuator

attestor

attritor

authenticator

autofellator

bailor

bargainor

bettor

bifurcator

bioirrigator

biostimulator

bisector

blastor

bloviator

bombinator

cachinnator

caffeinator

calibrator

capacitor

capitulator

caprificator

carbonator

carburetor

castigator

castor

castrator

catenator

caveator

celebrator

cessor

chancellor

chelator

chlorinator

circulator

circumcisor

circumnavigator

coagulator

cogitator

collator

collimator

commemorator

comminutor

commiserator

communicator

compassionator

compensator

compilator

complicator

compotator

compressor

computor

concentrator

conceptor

conciliator

confabulator

confiscator

congestor

congratulator

congregator

conjurour

connector

conqueror

consignor

consolidator

constrictor

consummator

contactor

contaminator

contemnor

contemplator

contributor

convector

convenor

conveyor

coordinator

copulator

corporator

corrector

correlator

corroborator

corrugator

countor

covenantor

cremator

cross-contaminator

cultivator

deactivator

deaerator

deallocator

debigulate

debitor

debtor

decelerator

decimator

decollator

decompressor

deconstructor

decontaminator

decorator

decorticator

decryptor

deductor

deduplicator

defalcator

defecator

defenestrator

deflagrator

deflator

deflector

defoliator

degerminator

delegator

deliberator

delimitator

delineator

demarcator

dementor

demodulator

demonstrator

demotivator

denigrator

denitrator

denotator

deobfuscator

dephlegmator

depictor

depilator

depixelator

depopulator

depositor

depreciator

depredator

depressor

• actor
• assignor
• author
• bailor
• debtor
• donor
• licensor
• realtor
• sculptor
• settlor
• sublicensor
• trustor

Related terms

• -er (alternative spelling)
• -trix (feminine form)

See also

• -ist

Etymology 2

From Latin -or.

Suffix

-or

1. Used to form nouns of quality, state, or condition.

   ‎err + ‎-or → ‎error

Anagrams

• r/o, Ro, R&O, RO

Albanian

Suffix

-or m (feminine singular -ore, masculine plural -orë, feminine plural -ore)

1. forms relational adjectives and demonyms

   ‎Mirditë + ‎-or → ‎mirditor (“inhabitant of Mirdita”)

2. forms agent nouns

   ‎dasmë (“wedding”) + ‎-or → ‎dasmor (“wedding guest”)

4. forms many names for months

Usage notes

• Formation with the article in the standard language is often based on Gheg roots, e.g.:

  ‎zâ + ‎-or → ‎zanor, rather than from zë

  ‎shkretinë + ‎-or → ‎shkretinor, rather than from shkretëtirë

Derived terms

Albanian terms suffixed with -or

Agimor

akullor

Albanor

Arbënor

Arbëror

Arbor

Argjendor

bashkëkohor

bërthamor

burrëror

buxhetor

buzor

cingalor

cjapor

dasmor

dëftor

dëshiror

dëshmor

diellor

ditor

Dritor

epshor

fajtor

femëror

fjalor

garuzhdë

gojor

gramatikor

habitor

ishullor

kallëzuesor

kulturor

kushtor

lidhor

malësor

malor

mashkullor

mendor

mujor

muskulor

ndëryjor

njëbuzor

parzmor

qelizor

ranor

rrëshqanor

sisor

shekullor

shilor

shkencor

shkretinor

trupor

thëngjillor

ujor

urdhëror

vendor

vepror

verdhullor

verior

vetvetor

xeheror

Albanian terms suffixed with -or (month)

dimëror

dhjetor

nëntor

qershor

shtator

tetor

See also

• -ësor

Aragonese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -ōrem.

Suffix

-or f

1. used to create abstract nouns from adjectives; -ness

   ‎blanc (“white”) + ‎-or → ‎blancor (“whiteness”)

   ‎clar (“bright”) + ‎-or → ‎claror (“brightness”)

Further reading

• Diccionario ortografico de l'aragonés (Seguntes la PO de l'EFA)

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -ōrem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈo]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈoɾ]

Suffix

-or f (noun-forming suffix, plural -ors)

1. used to create abstract nouns from adjectives; -ness

   ‎blanc (“white”) + ‎-or → ‎blancor (“whiteness”)

   ‎buit (“empty”) + ‎-or → ‎buidor (“emptiness”)

2. used to create abstract nouns from verbs; -th, -ence

   ‎escalfar (“to heat up”) + ‎-or → ‎escalfor (“heat, warmth”)

   ‎resplendir (“to shine”) + ‎-or → ‎resplendor (“brillance”)

Derived terms

Catalan terms suffixed with -or

amargor

aspersor

blancor

blavor

brillantor

brusentor

buidor

casor

claror

cobertor

cremor

disjuntor

dolçor

eixutor

escalfor

esgarrifor

espessor

estretor

finor

foscor

fredor

frescor

grandor

grassor

grogor

llacor

lletjor

lluentor

lluïssor

maror

negror

picantor

picor

primor

resplendor

rojor

secor

torçor

tovor

tristor

vermellor

Further reading

• “-or”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “-or” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

Franco-Provençal

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -ōrem m.

Suffix

-or f (plural -ors) (ORB, broad)

1. Attaches to an adjective denoting a physical property to form the associated abstract noun.

Derived terms

Franco-Provençal terms suffixed with -or

amplor

docior

hôtor

lèdor

longior

rêdor

rogior

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin -tōr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [oːɐ̯]

Suffix

-or

1. -or

Declension

Declension of -or [masculine, mixed]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	-or	die	-oren
genitive	eines	des	-ors	der	-oren
dative	einem	dem	-or	den	-oren
accusative	einen	den	-or	die	-oren

Derived terms

• -orin
• -orisch

Ido

Etymology

Modeled after -ar and -os.

Suffix

-or

1. Used to denote the future infinitive of a verb.

   Tu mustas kompror lakto kande tu es che la butiko.

   You must buy milk when you are at the shop.

Related terms

• -ar (present infinitive tense)
• -ir (past infinitive tense)