ALTERNATES

Noun

alternates

plural of alternate

Verb

alternates

Third-person singular simple present indicative form of alternate

Source: Wiktionary


ALTERNATE

Al*ter"nate, a. Etym: [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.)

Definition: 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, 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.)

Definition: A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means.

Al"ter*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Alternated; p. pr. & vb. n. Alternating.] Etym: [L. alternatus, p. p. of alternare. See Altern.]

Definition: 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

21 April 2025

ENCYCLOPEDIA

(noun) a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, the seeds of berries from certain Coffea species. When coffee berries turn from green to bright red – indicating ripeness – they are picked, processed, and dried. Dried coffee seeds are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor.

coffee icon