Hypertext Webster Gateway: "alternate"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Alternate \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}.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Alternate \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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Alternate \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.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Alternate \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.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

alternate
adj 1: every second one of a series; "the cleaning lady comes on
alternate Wednesdays"; "jam every other day"- the
White Queen [syn: {alternate(a)}, {every other(a)}]
2: allowing a choice; "an alternative plan" [syn: {alternative}]
3: occurring by turns; first one and then the other;
"alternating feelings of love and hate" [syn: {alternate(a)},
{alternating(a)}]
4: (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" [ant: {opposite}]
n : someone who takes the place of another person [syn: {surrogate},
{replacement}]
v 1: go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states
or conditions [syn: {jump}]
2: exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and
functions
3: be an understudy or alternate for a role [syn: {understudy}]
4: reverse, as of direction or attitude [syn: {interchange}, {switch},
{flip}, {flip-flop}]
5: do something in turns; "We take turns on the night shift"
[syn: {take turns}]


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