[v. awl-ter-neyt, al-; adj., n. awl-ter-nit, al-] 
verb, -nat⋅ed, -nat⋅ing, adjective, noun | 1. | to interchange repeatedly and regularly with one another in time or place; rotate (usually fol. by with): Day alternates with night. |
| 2. | to change back and forth between conditions, states, actions, etc.: He alternates between hope and despair. |
| 3. | to take turns: My sister and I alternated in doing the dishes. |
| 4. | Electricity. to reverse direction or sign periodically. |
| 5. | Linguistics. to occur as a variant in alternation with another form. |
| 6. | to perform or do in succession or one after another: to alternate comedy acts; to alternate jogging and walking. |
| 7. | to interchange successively or regularly: to alternate hot and cold compresses. |
| 8. | being in a constant state of succession or rotation; interchanged repeatedly one for another: Winter and summer are alternate seasons. |
| 9. | reciprocal; mutual: alternate acts of kindness. |
| 10. | every second one of a series: Read only the alternate lines. |
| 11. | constituting an alternative: The alternate route is more scenic. |
| 12. | alternative (defs. 4, 6). |
| 13. | Botany.
|
| 14. | a person authorized to fill the position, exercise the duties, etc., of another who is temporarily absent; substitute. |
| 15. | Theater.
|
| 16. | alternative. |
alternate (ôl'tər-nĭt) Pronunciation Key
|
tərˌneɪt