Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to make different in some particular, as size, style, course, or the like; modify: to alter a coat; to alter a will; to alter course.
2.
to castrate or spay.
verb (used without object)
3.
to change; become different or modified.
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Alter
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
| to bark; yelp. |
Example Sentences
- The king of alter egos is surprisingly humble guy.
- Mud slides can alter the creek's course.
alter.
adjective
1.
noun
2.
in alt, in the first octave above the treble staff.
Origin:
1525–35; < Provençal < Latin altum, noun use of neuter of altus high
1525–35; < Provençal < Latin altum, noun use of neuter of altus high
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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|
Link To alter
Collins
World English Dictionary
| alter (ˈɔːltə) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to make or become different in some respect; change |
| 2. | informal chiefly (US) (tr) castrate a euphemistic word for spay |
| [C14: from Old French alterer, from Medieval Latin alterāre to change, from Latin alter other] | |
| 'alterable | |
| —adj | |
| 'alterably | |
| —adv | |
| altera'bility | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
alter
late 14c., "to change (something)," from O.Fr. alterer, from M.L. alterare "to change," from L. alter "the other (of the two)," from PIE *al- "beyond" + comp. suffix -ter (cf. other). Intransitive sense "to become otherwise" first recorded 1580s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
ALT (ā'ěl-tē')
n.
Alanine aminotransferase; an enzyme in serum and body tissues that catalyzes the transfer of amino acid groups from l-alanine to 2-ketoglutarate or the reverse, thus allowing nitrogen to be excreted or incorporated into other compounds.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary
ALTER definition
databaseAn SQL Data Definition Language command that adds or removes columns or indexes to/from a table or modifies the table definition in some other way. This differs from the INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE (Data Modification Language) commands in that those change the data stored in the table but not its definition.
MySQL ALTER TABLE command (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/alter-table.html).
(2009-11-10)
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