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Meaning of ALTERNATE

Pronunciation:  [adj]'oltur`nit, [n]'oltur`nit, [v]'oltur`neyt, 'olturnut

WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. [n]  someone who takes the place of another person
  2. [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"
  3. [adj]  allowing a choice; "an alternative plan"
  4. [v]  reverse, as of direction, attitude, or course of action
  5. [v]  do something in turns; "We take turns on the night shift"
  6. [v]  go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions
  7. [v]  be an understudy or alternate for a role
  8. [v]  exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions
 
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 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

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \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}.

  2. \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.

  3. \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.

  4. \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.
 
 Websites: 
 
Biology Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. Describes leaves that grow singly along a stem.
  2. Of leaves or other lateral plant organs, borne singly at different heights on the axis; of floral parts, on a different radius, e.g. describing the position of stamens with respect to petals. Compare opposite.
 
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Thesaurus Terms
 
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