Definitions for: Alternate


[n] someone who takes the place of another person
[adj] (botany) 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"
[adj] allowing a choice; "an alternative plan"
[v] reverse, as of direction, attitude, or course of action
[v] do something in turns; "We take turns on the night shift"
[v] go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions
[v] be an understudy or alternate for a role
[v] exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions



Webster (1913) Definition: Al*ter"nate (?; 277), a. [L. alternatus, p. p. of
alternate, fr. alternus. See Altern, Alter.]
1. 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. --Pope.

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

Alternate alligation. See Alligation.

Alternate angles (Geom.), the internal and angles made by
two lines with a third, on opposite sides of it. It the
parallels AB, CD, are cut by the line EF, the angles AGH,
GHD, as also the angles BGH and GHC, are called alternate
angles.

Alternate generation. (Biol.) See under Generation.


Al*ter"nate (?; 277), n.
1. That which alternates with something else; vicissitude.
[R.]

Grateful alternates of substantial. --Prior.

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

3. (Math.) A proportion derived from another proportion by
interchanging the means.


Al"ter*nate (?; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Alternated; p. pr. & vb. n. Alternating.] [L. alternatus,
p. p. of alternare. See Altern.]
To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by
turns; to interchange regularly.

The most high God, in all things appertaining unto this
life, for sundry wise ends alternates the disposition
of good and evil. --Grew.


Al"ter*nate, v. i.
1. 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.

Rage, shame, and grief alternate in his breast. --J.
Philips.

Different species alternating with each other.
--Kirwan.

2. To vary by turns; as, the land alternates between rocky
hills and sandy plains.

Synonyms: alternative, flip, flip-flop, interchange, jump, replacement, secondary, surrogate, switch, tack, take turns, understudy

Antonyms: opposite, paired

See Also: act, alter, backup, backup man, change, change by reversal, con, exchange, fill-in, learn, memorise, memorize, move, relief, reliever, reverse, rotate, stand-in, substitute, turn, vary

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