| (a.) | 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. |
| (a.) | 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. |
| (a.) | Distributed, as leaves, singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence. |
| (n.) | That which alternates with something else; vicissitude. |
| (n.) | A substitute; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty. |
| (n.) | A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means. |
| (v. t.) | To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly. |
| (v. i.) | 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. |
| (v. i.) | To vary by turns; as, the land alternates between rocky hills and sandy plains. |