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alternate

[ verb awl-ter-neyt, al-; adjective noun awl-ter-nit, al- ]

verb (used without object)

alternated, alternating.
  1. to interchange repeatedly and regularly with one another in time or place; rotate (usually followed by with ):

    Day alternates with night.

  2. to change back and forth between conditions, states, actions, etc.:

    He alternates between hope and despair.

  3. to take turns:

    My sister and I alternated in doing the dishes.

  4. Electricity. to reverse direction or sign periodically.
  5. Linguistics. to occur as a variant in alternation with another form.


verb (used with object)

alternated, alternating.
  1. to perform or do in succession or one after another:

    to alternate comedy acts; to alternate jogging and walking.

  2. to interchange successively or regularly:

    to alternate hot and cold compresses.

adjective

  1. being in a constant state of succession or rotation; interchanged repeatedly one for another:

    Winter and summer are alternate seasons.

  2. reciprocal; mutual:

    alternate acts of kindness.

  3. every second one of a series:

    Read only the alternate lines.

  4. constituting an alternative:

    The alternate route is more scenic.

  5. Botany.
    1. placed singly at different heights on the axis, on each side in succession, or at definite angular distances from one another, as leaves.
    2. opposite to the intervals between other organs:

      petals alternate with sepals.

noun

  1. a person authorized to fill the position, exercise the duties, etc., of another who is temporarily absent; substitute.
  2. Theater.
    1. either of two actors who take turns playing the same role.
    2. an understudy.

alternate

verb

  1. often foll by with to occur or cause to occur successively or by turns

    day and night alternate

  2. introften foll bybetween to swing repeatedly from one condition, action, etc, to another

    he alternates between success and failure

  3. tr to interchange regularly or in succession
  4. intr (of an electric current, voltage, etc) to reverse direction or sign at regular intervals, usually sinusoidally, the instantaneous value varying continuously
  5. introften foll byfor theatre to understudy another actor or actress
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. occurring by turns

    alternate feelings of love and hate

  2. every other or second one of a series

    he came to work on alternate days

  3. being a second or further choice; alternative

    alternate director

  4. botany
    1. (of leaves, flowers, etc) arranged singly at different heights on either side of the stem
    2. (of parts of a flower) arranged opposite the spaces between other parts Compare opposite
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a person who substitutes for another in his absence; stand-in
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

alternate

/ ôə-ĭ /

  1. Arranged singly at intervals on a stem or twig. Elms, birches, oaks, cherry trees, and hickory trees have alternate leaves.
  2. Compare opposite
  3. Arranged regularly between other parts, as stamens between petals on a flower.
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Other yvlog Forms

  • t·Բٱ· adverb
  • t·Բٱ·Ա noun
  • t·ԲiԲ· adverb
  • ԴDz·t·ԲiԲ adjective
  • ܲȴ-t·ԲiԲ adjective
  • quasi-t·ԲiԲ· adverb
  • ܲ·t·Բe adjective
  • ܲ·t·ԲiԲ adjective
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of alternate1

First recorded in 1505–15, alternate is from the Latin word ٱٳܲ (past participle of ٱ ). See altern, -ate 1
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of alternate1

C16: from Latin ٱ to do one thing and then another, from alternus one after the other, from alter other
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s fun to read, for sure, but there’s also a yawning pit of despair sitting beneath the narrator’s alternating tones of glib humor and seething rage.

From

At community meetings, she grieves with locals, alternating between tears and blunt talk.

From

But this Ron Howard was an alternate universe version of Ron Howard, who instead of being notoriously nice, is sort of a jerk.

From

Anna Lippman, a delegate for the activist group, shared video showing an alternate angle of the confrontation and tweeted photos of a vehicle with shards of glass in the passenger seats.

From

Video recorded and shared by Anna Lippman, a delegate for the activist group, shows an alternate angle of the confrontation.

From

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