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alternate
[awl-ter-neyt, al-, awl-ter-nit, al-]
verb (used without object)
to interchange repeatedly and regularly with one another in time or place; rotate (usually followed bywith ).
Day alternates with night.
to change back and forth between conditions, states, actions, etc..
He alternates between hope and despair.
to take turns.
My sister and I alternated in doing the dishes.
Electricity.to reverse direction or sign periodically.
Linguistics.to occur as a variant in alternation with another form.
verb (used with object)
to perform or do in succession or one after another.
to alternate comedy acts; to alternate jogging and walking.
to interchange successively or regularly.
to alternate hot and cold compresses.
adjective
being in a constant state of succession or rotation; interchanged repeatedly one for another.
Winter and summer are alternate seasons.
reciprocal; mutual.
alternate acts of kindness.
every second one of a series.
Read only the alternate lines.
constituting an alternative.
The alternate route is more scenic.
Botany.
placed singly at different heights on the axis, on each side in succession, or at definite angular distances from one another, as leaves.
opposite to the intervals between other organs.
petals alternate with sepals.
noun
a person authorized to fill the position, exercise the duties, etc., of another who is temporarily absent; substitute.
Theater.
either of two actors who take turns playing the same role.
an understudy.
alternate
verb
(often foll by with) to occur or cause to occur successively or by turns
day and night alternate
to swing repeatedly from one condition, action, etc, to another
he alternates between success and failure
(tr) to interchange regularly or in succession
(intr) (of an electric current, voltage, etc) to reverse direction or sign at regular intervals, usually sinusoidally, the instantaneous value varying continuously
theatre to understudy another actor or actress
adjective
occurring by turns
alternate feelings of love and hate
every other or second one of a series
he came to work on alternate days
being a second or further choice; alternative
alternate director
botany
(of leaves, flowers, etc) arranged singly at different heights on either side of the stem
(of parts of a flower) arranged opposite the spaces between other parts Compare opposite
noun
a person who substitutes for another in his absence; stand-in
alternate
Arranged singly at intervals on a stem or twig. Elms, birches, oaks, cherry trees, and hickory trees have alternate leaves.
Compare opposite
Arranged regularly between other parts, as stamens between petals on a flower.
Other Word Forms
- alternately adverb
- alternateness noun
- alternatingly adverb
- nonalternating adjective
- quasi-alternating adjective
- quasi-alternatingly adverb
- unalternated adjective
- unalternating adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of alternate1
Word History and Origins
Origin of alternate1
Example Sentences
Talk about what it was like to play that role in a series that alternates between biting humor and deep grief.
“It’s going into satellites, alternate energy, national defense, drones, shipbuilding and pharmaceutical drug discovery. So it’s a lot more exciting than it ever has been.”
Facilities in violation frequently resolve citations through appeals, settlements or other alternate routes that lower the severity level of their violation, their fine amount or both, Chicotel said.
So my “improvising” would be to have a list of alternates.
The reason for the change in weather is down to the jet stream - a fast wind high in the atmosphere - shifting position and alternating the pressure pattern in the UK.
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