Definitions for alternate
ˈɔl tərˌneɪt, ˈæl-; -nɪtal·ter·nate

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:2.3 / 4 votes

1. surrogate, alternate, replacementadjective

   someone who takes the place of another person

2. alternate(a)adjective

   every second one of a series

   "the cleaning lady comes on alternate Wednesdays"; "jam every other day"- the White Queen

3. alternate, alternative, substituteadjective

   serving or used in place of another

   "an alternative plan"

4. alternate(a), alternating(a)adjective

   occurring by turns; first one and then the other

   "alternating feelings of love and hate"

5. 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"

6. alternate, jumpverb

   go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions

7. alternateverb

   exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions

8. understudy, alternateverb

   be an understudy or alternate for a role

9. interchange, tack, switch, alternate, flip, flip-flopverb

   reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)

10. alternate, take turnsverb

    do something in turns

    "We take turns on the night shift"

WiktionaryRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. alternatenoun

   That which alternates with something else; vicissitude.

   Grateful alternates of substantial. -Matthew Prior

2. alternatenoun

   A substitute; an alternative; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty.

3. alternatenoun

   A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means.

4. alternatenoun

   A replacement of equal or greater value or function.

5. alternatenoun

   Figures or tinctures that succeed each other by turns.

6. alternateverb

   To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly.

7. 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.

8. alternateverb

   To vary by turns.

   The land alternates between rocky hills and sandy plains.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. alternateadjective

    Other or alternative.

12. alternateadjective

    Distributed, as leaves, singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence. --Gray.

13. Etymology: From alterno, alternus, from alter. See altern, alter.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. To Alternateverb

   Etymology: alterno, Lat.

   1. To perform alternately.

   Those who, in their course,
   Melodious hymns about the sov’reign throne
   Alternate all night long. John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. v.

   2. To change one thing for another reciprocally.

   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.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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 DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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

2. 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

3. Alternateadjective

   distributed, as leaves, singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence

4. Alternatenoun

   that which alternates with something else; vicissitude

5. Alternatenoun

   a substitute; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty

6. Alternatenoun

   a proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means

7. Alternateverb

   to perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly

8. 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

9. Alternateverb

   to vary by turns; as, the land alternates between rocky hills and sandy plains

10. Etymology: [L. alternatus, p. p. of alternate, fr. alternus. See Altern, Alter.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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 TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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 ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. alternate

   separate or different from others

   "he took the alternate route to the highway because of the traffic jam on the main route."

   
   

   Submitted by anonymous on March 4, 2014  

Matched Categories

1. • Change By Reversal
   • Exchange
   • Memorize

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce alternate?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say alternate in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of alternate in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of alternate in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of alternate in a Sentence

1. Kim Kardashian:

   Really the reason why they imprisoned him was because he started doing positive for the community, he started showing that he had power, that he wasn't one of a monolithic voice, that he could wrap people around, it's very important for me to get Larry Hoover out because in an alternate universe I am Kim Kardashian West and I have to go and get Larry Hoover free because Larry Hoover was doing positive inside of Chicago, just like how I'm moving back to Chicago(.).

2. Trisha Torrey:

   Whether you just need straight answers or you want to discuss some sort of alternate therapy with your doctor, he or she needs to be respectful of your wish to discuss the topic.

3. Jeffias Moyo:

   I bought a generator which I alternate between grinding mills, but I cannot survive, this thing requires a lot of fuel.

4. Omar Khayym:

   Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai Whose Portals are alternate Night and Day, How Sultn after Sultn with his Pomp Abode his destined Hour, and went his way.

5. Eric Ravussin:

   We know daily calorie restriction -- if you have to count your calories every day and all that -- it's a tough one. I think that there's some hope that this alternate-day fast, or modified fast, would be a better or easier strategy, but ... the dropout rate is kind of alarming.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=alternate
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Alternate
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=alternate
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternate
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=alternate
7. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=alternate
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=alternate