Definition of the word nor

Translingual[edit]

Symbol[edit]

nor

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Norwegian.

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Received Pronunciation): enPR: nô, IPA^(key): /nɔː/
• (US) enPR: nôr, IPA^(key): /nɔɹ/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)
• Homophone: gnaw (in non-rhotic accents)

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English nauther, from nother. Cognate with neither.

Conjunction[edit]

nor

1. (literary) And… not (introducing a negative statement, without necessarily following one).

   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     I love your majesty / According to my bond, nor more nor less.

   • Nor you nor your house were so much as spoken of before I disbased myself.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Nor walk by moon, / Or glittering starlight, without thee is sweet.

   • 1825, Sir Walter Scott, The Talisman

     And, moreover, I had made my vow to preserve my rank unknown till the crusade should be accomplished; nor did I mention it […]

   • 1797, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, «The Rime of the Ancient Mariner»

     Water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink.

   Nor did I stop to think, but ran.

   They are happy, nor need we worry.

2. A function word introducing each except the first term of a series, indicating none of them is true.

   • 2013 June 22, “T time”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 68:

     The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them […] is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies. […] current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate […] “stateless income”: profit subject to tax in a jurisdiction that is neither the location of the factors of production that generate the income nor where the parent firm is domiciled.

   I am neither hungry nor thirsty nor tired.

3. Used to introduce a further negative statement.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.

   The struggle didn’t end, nor was it diminished.

4. (UK, dialect) Than.

   • 1861, George Eliot, Silas Marner, London: Penguin Books, published 1967, page 131:

     ‘I used to think, when you first come into these parts, as you were no better nor you should be.’

   • 1967, Sleigh, Barbara, Jessamy, 1993 edition, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 92:

     I wouldn’t like to live here though, not after dark. Sooner you nor me.

   He’s no better nor you.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

• neither

Etymology 2[edit]

From Etymology 1 (sense 2 above), reinterpreted as not + or or negation + or.

Noun[edit]

nor (plural nors)

1. (logic, electronics) Alternative form of NOR

Coordinate terms[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

• NRO, RON, Ron, orn, ron

Aromanian[edit]

Noun[edit]

nor

1. Alternative form of norã

Basque[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /nor/, [no̞r]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Proto-Basque *nor, containing the interrogative prefix *no-.^[1]

Pronoun[edit]

nor

1. (interrogative) who

   Nor da? ― Who is he/she?

   Ez nekien nor zinen. ― I didn’t know who you were.

   Norentzat da opari hau? ― Who is this present for?

Declension[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From the interrogative pronoun.

Adjective[edit]

nor (indeclinable)

1. (grammatical term, used as a modifier) (of a verb) intransitive without a dative argument

   Nor aditzak euskarazko aditzik errezenak dira. ― In Basque, nor verbs are the easiest to learn.

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• «nor» in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], euskaltzaindia.eus
• “nor” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], euskaltzaindia.eus

Czech[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [ˈnor]

Noun[edit]

nor f

1. genitive plural of nora

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Unclear, perhaps onomatopoeic, cf. brommen (“to do time”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /nɔr/
• Hyphenation: nor
• Rhymes: -ɔr

Noun[edit]

nor (only as singular, with definite article: de nor)

1. (informal) Jail, prison; imprisonment

   Synonyms: bajes, bak, gevangenis, lik

Megleno-Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin nubilum. Compare Romanian nor, Aromanian nior.

Noun[edit]

nor m

1. cloud

Norman[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• nord (continental Normandy, Guernsey, Jersey)

Etymology[edit]

From Old French norht, north, nort (“north”), from Old English norþ (“north”), from Proto-Germanic *nurþrą (“north”), from Proto-Indo-European *ner- (“lower, bottom; to sink, shrivel”).

Noun[edit]

nor m (uncountable)

1. (Sark) north

Polish[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /nɔr/
• Rhymes: -ɔr
• Syllabification: nor

Noun[edit]

nor f

1. genitive plural of nora

Romanian[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• nour (regional, Moldova)
• noor (regional, Oltenia),
• nuor, nuvăr (regional, Banat)
• nuar (archaic, obsolete)

Etymology[edit]

From older nuar, nuăr, from Latin nūbilum, noun use of the neuter of the adjective nūbilus (“cloudy”), from Latin nūbēs, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)newdʰ- (“to cover”). Compare Aromanian nior,
Spanish nube,
Italian nuvola, Friulian nûl, Portuguese nuvem, Catalan núvol.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [nor]

Noun[edit]

nor m (plural nori)

1. cloud

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

• (a se) înnora
• noros

Slovene[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From German Narr.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /nɔ́r/

Adjective[edit]

nȍr (comparative bȍlj nȍr, superlative nȁjbolj nȍr)

1. crazy, insane, mad

Inflection[edit]

Hard
	masculine	feminine	neuter
nom. sing.	nòr	nôra	nôro
singular
	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	nòr ind nôri def	nôra	nôro
genitive	nôrega	nôre	nôrega
dative	nôremu	nôri	nôremu
accusative	nominativeinan or genitiveanim	nôro	nôro
locative	nôrem	nôri	nôrem
instrumental	nôrim	nôro	nôrim
dual
	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	nôra	nôri	nôri
genitive	nôrih	nôrih	nôrih
dative	nôrima	nôrima	nôrima
accusative	nôra	nôri	nôri
locative	nôrih	nôrih	nôrih
instrumental	nôrima	nôrima	nôrima
plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	nôri	nôre	nôra
genitive	nôrih	nôrih	nôrih
dative	nôrim	nôrim	nôrim
accusative	nôre	nôre	nôra
locative	nôrih	nôrih	nôrih
instrumental	nôrimi	nôrimi	nôrimi

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• “nor”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran

Swedish[edit]

Noun[edit]

nor

1. narrow strait

Anagrams[edit]

• ron

Veps[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Related to Finnish nuora. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun[edit]

nor

1. string

Declension[edit]

Inflection of nor (inflection type 6/kuva)
nominative sing.	nor
genitive sing.	noran
partitive sing.	norad
partitive plur.	norid
	singular	plural
nominative	nor	norad
accusative	noran	norad
genitive	noran	noriden
partitive	norad	norid
essive-instructive	noran	norin
translative	noraks	norikš
inessive	noras	noriš
elative	noraspäi	norišpäi
illative	noraha	norihe
adessive	noral	noril
ablative	noralpäi	norilpäi
allative	norale	norile
abessive	norata	norita
comitative	noranke	noridenke
prolative	noradme	noridme
approximative I	noranno	noridenno
approximative II	norannoks	noridennoks
egressive	norannopäi	noridennopäi
terminative I	norahasai	norihesai
terminative II	noralesai	norilesai
terminative III	norassai	—
additive I	norahapäi	norihepäi
additive II	noralepäi	norilepäi

Yola[edit]

Conjunction[edit]

nor

1. Alternative form of noor

   • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3:

     Mye thee friend ne’re waant welcome, nor straayart comfoort.

     May thy friend ne’er want welcome, nor the stranger comfort.

References[edit]

• Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, page 100

Conjunctions are words used to bring together two distinct clauses or thoughts. However, using these words to bridge two statements could be at times confusing – particularly if the connecting word is not as common or straightforward as «but» or «and». In other words, many writers stumble when using the word «nor» to link sentences.

To correctly use «nor» in a sentence, make sure the conjunction introduces a negative element or clause. Though «nor» can be used as a standalone word, it’s mostly paired with «neither», an indefinite pronoun. Most importantly, do not use «either» instead of «neither» as a companion word for «nor».

Keep reading to learn everything there is to know about using «nor» in a sentence (with and without «neither»), some example sentences with «nor» and with both «neither» and «nor» in them, and lots more.

Nor – Definition

The conjunction «nor» is a negative particle or connective that introduces the second negative clause or element in a sentence – typically following «neither» used in the first clause. This relationship between «neither» and «nor» is the opposite of the word pairing of «either» and «or», with the latter pair having positive connotations. Needless to say, «either» and «nor», or «neither» and «or» cannot be paired together.

As aforementioned, «nor» is used in a sentence post a negative statement, to introduce one more negative element that adds to the first statement.

Beginning a Sentence with «Nor»

It’s perfectly fine to begin a sentence with «nor». Those sentences are usually conversational in nature or immediately follow another sentence.

For example, Tom says «I have never used an iPhone before.» To which, Mary could say, «Nor have I.»

Starting a sentence with «nor» may sound a bit formal. If you’d like to make the conversation less formal, you may replace «nor» with «neither». In other words, the second sentence in the above example could be, «Neither have I.»

The first sentence of a new paragraph usually cannot begin with «nor» since the word is a conjunction. If it’s used at the beginning of a sentence, the reader would want to know the context in which the sentence lies. For instance, the sentence «Nor have I» sounds incomplete and meaningless if it has no prior sentence to base itself on.

Here are a couple more sentences to explain the point:

«I have described the situation to you over and over again, but you just don’t seem to understand. Nor are you willing to try to make yourself understand.»

If you read just the second sentence starting with «nor» above, it would mean almost nothing.

Using «Neither» and «Nor»

In a sentence, «nor» is usually paired with «neither». «Neither» is used before «nor» to set up the premise so that «nor» could introduce the next alternative or a set of alternatives. This pairing of the two words is called «correlative pairing», which states the information a particular term introduces is related or connected to the information introduced by the other term. The two words could be incorporated when discussing events or when listing nouns.

However, «nor» is not always dependent on or needs «neither» in a sentence. It could at times feature in sentences without «neither» in the initial clause. In such cases, the conjunction is typically a part of the first clause.

Also, «nor» and «neither» are interchangeable. Take a look at the following sentences:

• He cannot fix my phone and neither/nor can I.
• The cops are unable to take questions at this point in time, nor/neither can they make public the name of the suspect.
• My family didn’t believe in me, nor/neither did my close friends.

Though a sentence can have the conjunction «nor» by itself, it isn’t the norm. The sentence with just «nor» could, in fact, read a bit unnatural and stiff at times. And since the usage of «nor» without «neither» is not common, it may lead to some readers believing you framed the sentence wrong.

Another point worth mentioning is both «neither» and «nor» work parallelly. This means the clauses or phrases they introduce individually should be of the same type. In other words, the phrase that follows the two words should be a noun or a verb. «Neither» cannot be introducing a noun, and «nor» introducing a verb in the same sentence. For example,

• «She saw neither Jim nor Andre during the excursion.» This sentence is correct as both «neither» and «nor» are introducing the proper nouns «Jim» and «Andre» respectively.
• «She neither saw Jim nor spoke to Andre during the excursion.» This sentence is also correct as the two correlative words introduce a verb.
• «She neither saw Jim nor Andre during our trip.» This sentence is not correct as the word «neither» is followed by a verb, whereas a noun follows «nor».

As mentioned above, «neither» and «nor» introduce clauses that have negative undercurrents, and «either» and «or» have positive connotations. This means breaking the respective pairs and interchanging the words is incorrect. In other words, the following sentences are wrong:

• Todd neither knows the game’s rules or tries to know.
• I will either head to the bookstore nor buy groceries.

Also, if the sentence has its tenses mixed, consider the second noun – which is usually the noun after «nor». The verb should be determined based on the tense of the second noun or «nor».

Here are a couple of sentences for a better understanding of the rule:

• Neither they nor she are keen. (Incorrect)
• Neither they nor she is keen. (Correct)

Using «Nor» in the Same Sentence Twice

Like mentioned before, «nor» is used in a sentence to introduce a secondary clause or element. When it’s introducing more than one element, however, the word could be used more than once in the same sentence.

Here is a sentence with «nor» mentioned once:

• I like neither goat milk nor camel milk.

The two elements in the sentence are «goat milk» and «camel milk». If the same sentence had more than two elements, it would read like this:

• I like neither goat milk nor camel milk nor cow milk. I like only buffalo milk.

Here are a couple more sentences with a couple of mentions of «nor»:

• He can neither write nor read, nor is he capable of comprehending such concepts.
• They will not wait for me, nor for you, nor for anybody.

Also, the conjunction «nor» could feature more than twice in the same sentence. Here is an example sentence:

• Neither rain, nor snow, nor night gloom, nor heat can prevent these courier companies from completing their appointed rounds.

Using «Or» in Place of «Nor»

The conjunction «nor» is used to denote a continuing negative state. The two negative items emphasized using the words «neither» and «nor» are part of the same speech. However, there are instances when you can use «or» instead of «nor».

Typically, a sentence that uses «or» doesn’t have «neither» in it. The conjunction «neither» is invariably replaced with «not». Here are a few sentences illustrating the point:

• She is not keen on studying science or math.

This sentence cannot be framed as, «She is neither keen on studying science or math.»

Similarly, «He didn’t speak clearly or slowly» is grammatically correct. On the other hand, «He didn’t speak clearly nor slowly» is not right.

Example Sentences with the Word «Nor»

The following are sentences that incorporate the word «nor»:

• The virus cannot survive in people with strong immunity, nor in nature.
• I do not work for anyone other than Jim, nor do I bid on behalf of anybody else.
• I smiled from the heart, without a curfew nor bounds.
• She wants to leave the town when she is 21, nor does she want to move to the neighboring city.
• The fans do not want to see her go – nor do I.
• Cooking does not mean a sacrifice of flavors and taste. Nor do all fast-food items are junk.
• I am almost never up at 5 in the morning, nor would I like waking up at 6 am.
• The report was finished on time, nor are there any mistakes in it.
• He did not hear the birds nor the clock.
• I won’t go. No omens nor auspicious signs can convince me.
• She’s extremely fun to be around, with no attitude nor eclectic behavior.

Here are sentences that use both «neither» and «nor»:

• The trip was neither great nor bad – it just was.
• Having said that, neither Tim nor I smoke.
• Neither that behavior nor that statement is helping reduce the tension.
• Neither Mr. Wood nor Mr. Terrence showed up for the meeting held yesterday.
• I can neither offer you advice nor an opinion.
• I neither like pizza nor fancy the cheese.
• She drinks neither beer nor wine.
• Neither Mary nor Tom can speak Spanish.
• Neither dogs nor cats are permitted into the restaurant.
• Tony was a complete wreck, and I am quite sure neither Jacob nor I was any better.
• Neither my dad nor my mom went to college.

Conclusion

The conjunction «nor» offers a lot more options to link two or more sentences or create lists. However, in the process of doing so, quite a few adept writers could end up making errors atypical of them. It’s, therefore, imperative to pay close attention to sentence structure and formation when using «nor» and other conjunctions.

If you are a newbie writer or a non-native speaker working on their English, particularly writing in the language, above are some major pointers for your perusal.

Britannica Dictionary definition of NOR