Other Alternate Definition
[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
Synonyms
alternative, flip, flip-flop, interchange, jump, replacement, secondary, surrogate, switch, tack, take turns, understudy
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
Related Terms
advocate, agent, alter ego, alternating, alternative, amicus curiae, analogy, attorney, back and fill, back-and-forth, backup, backup man, bandy, battledore and shuttlecock, be here again, be quits with, beating, champion, change, changeling, circle, circ
Misc. Definitions
\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.
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