What does alternate mean?
Definitions for alternate
ˈɔl tərˌneɪt, ˈæl-; -nɪtal·ter·nate
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word alternate.
Princeton's WordNet
surrogate, alternate, replacementadjective
someone who takes the place of another person
alternate(a)adjective
every second one of a series
"the cleaning lady comes on alternate Wednesdays"; "jam every other day"- the White Queen
alternate, alternative, substituteadjective
serving or used in place of another
"an alternative plan"
alternate(a), alternating(a)adjective
occurring by turns; first one and then the other
"alternating feelings of love and hate"
alternateverb
of leaves and branches etc; first on one side and then on the other in two ranks along an axis; not paired
"stems with alternate leaves"
alternate, jumpverb
go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions
alternateverb
exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions
understudy, alternateverb
be an understudy or alternate for a role
interchange, tack, switch, alternate, flip, flip-flopverb
reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)
alternate, take turnsverb
do something in turns
"We take turns on the night shift"
Wiktionary
alternatenoun
That which alternates with something else; vicissitude.
Grateful alternates of substantial. -Matthew Prior
alternatenoun
A substitute; an alternative; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty.
alternatenoun
A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means.
alternatenoun
A replacement of equal or greater value or function.
alternatenoun
Figures or tinctures that succeed each other by turns.
alternateverb
To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly.
alternateverb
To happen, succeed, or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time;followed by with.
The flood and ebb tides alternate with each other.
alternateverb
To vary by turns.
The land alternates between rocky hills and sandy plains.
alternateadjective
Being or succeeding by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; by turns first one and then the other; hence, reciprocal.
And bid alternate passions fall and rise. -Alexander Pope
alternateadjective
Designating the members in a series, which regularly intervene between the members of another series, as the odd or even numbers of the numerals; every other; every second.
the alternate members 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.
alternateadjective
Other or alternative.
alternateadjective
Distributed, as leaves, singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence. --Gray.
Etymology: From alterno, alternus, from alter. See altern, alter.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
ALTERNATEadjective
Being by turns; one after another; reciprocal.
Etymology: alternus, Lat.
Friendship consists properly in mutual offices, and a generous strife in alternate acts of kindness. South.
Hear how Timotheus’ various lays surprise,
And bid alternate passions fall and rise!
While, at each change, the son of Lybian Jove
Now burns with glory, and then melts with love. Alexander Pope.Alternatenoun
That which happens alternately; vicissitude.
Etymology: from alternate, adj.
And rais’d in pleasure, or repos’d in ease,
Grateful alternates of substantial peace,
They bless the long nocturnal influence shed
On the crown’d goblet, and the genial bed. Matthew Prior.To Alternateverb
Etymology: alterno, Lat.
Those who, in their course,
Melodious hymns about the sov’reign throne
Alternate all night long. John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. v.The most high God, in all things appertaining unto this life, for sundry wise ends, alternates the disposition of good and evil. Nehemiah Grew, Cosmologia Sacra, b. iii.
ChatGPT
alternate
Alternate usually refers to occurring or succeeding by turns, or one that substitutes for or alternates with another. It can also mean every other, every second one, or offering a choice between two or more possibilities.
Webster Dictionary
Alternateadjective
being or succeeding by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; by turns first one and then the other; hence, reciprocal
Alternateadjective
designating the members in a series, which regularly intervene between the members of another series, as the odd or even numbers of the numerals; every other; every second; as, the alternate members 1, 3, 5, 7, etc. ; read every alternate line
Alternateadjective
distributed, as leaves, singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence
Alternatenoun
that which alternates with something else; vicissitude
Alternatenoun
a substitute; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty
Alternatenoun
a proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means
Alternateverb
to perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly
Alternateverb
to happen, succeed, or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time; -- followed by with; as, the flood and ebb tides alternate with each other
Alternateverb
to vary by turns; as, the land alternates between rocky hills and sandy plains
Etymology: [L. alternatus, p. p. of alternate, fr. alternus. See Altern, Alter.]
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Alternate
al′tėr-nāt, or al-tėr′nāt, v.t. to cause to follow by turns or one after the other.—v.i. to happen by turns: to follow every other or second time—also Al′ternise.—adjs. Al′tern (Milton), alternate, acting by turns; Alter′nant (geol.), in alternate layers; Alter′nate, one after the other: by turns.—adv. Alter′nately.—ns. Alter′nateness, Alter′nacy (rare); Alternā′tion, the act of alternating: interchange: reading or singing antiphonally.—adj. Alter′native, offering a choice of two things.—n. a choice between two things.—adv. Alter′natively. [L. alter, other.]
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
alternate
Reciprocal.--Alternate angles are the internal angles formed by a line cutting two parallels, and lying on the opposite side of the cutting line; the one below the first parallel, and the other above.--Alternate ratio is that of which the antecedents and consequents bear respectively to each other in any proportion which has the quantities of the same kind.
Editors Contribution
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of alternate in Chaldean Numerology is: 3
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of alternate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
Examples of alternate in a Sentence
The alternate therapy that saved my life is my service dog Axel.
Chitwan( Chitwan National Park) is a major habitat for rhinos in Nepal but we have translocated them to( other parks) to make an alternate population and( as a result) the population has increased in those parks, and in Chitwan as well.
Russians who get their truth from the state media are living in an alternate reality.
The influx of migrants into Budapest, specifically, has caused interruptions in local and regional train service, we have had Monograms guests in the region and while they have not faced any safety concerns, we have made alternate arrangements for them to travel by coach instead of train when going from Budapest to Vienna. Other than that minor transportation shift – and monitoring the situation very closely, of course – it has been business as usual for Globus, Cosmos and Monograms throughout Europe.
A bathymetric survey at the time, which only imaged relatively shallow seafloor, down to 180 meters( 330 feet) deep, did not reveal evidence of a landslide in nearby Dangerous Passage or the other waterways around Chenega, alternate explanations involving seafloor movement during the earthquake did not fit the timing and severity of the Chenega tsunami as described by eyewitnesses.
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References
Translations for alternate
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- البديلArabic
- редуващ се, редувам сеBulgarian
- alternativní, obměna, střídat, střídavý, střídat se, náhradní, náhradaCzech
- alternieren, alternativGerman
- sustituta, alternar, sustituto, alternoSpanish
- vahelduvEstonian
- متناوبPersian
- vuorottainen, vuorotellaFinnish
- alternative, alterner, alternatifFrench
- 交替Japanese
- alternativNorwegian
- plaatsvervangerDutch
- alterniratiSerbo-Croatian
- alternerande, växlande, alternativ, varannan, följa, vikarie, omväxlande, alternera, växla, ersättareSwedish
- ทางเลือกThai
- alternatifTurkish
- 备用Chinese
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