ALTERNATE

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does alternate mean? 

• ALTERNATE (noun)
  The noun ALTERNATE has 1 sense:

1. someone who takes the place of another person

  Familiarity information: ALTERNATE used as a noun is very rare.

• ALTERNATE (adjective)
  The adjective ALTERNATE has 4 senses:

1. every second one of a series

2. serving or used in place of another

3. occurring by turns; first one and then the other

4. of leaves and branches etc; first on one side and then on the other in two ranks along an axis; not paired

  Familiarity information: ALTERNATE used as an adjective is uncommon.

• ALTERNATE (verb)
  The verb ALTERNATE has 5 senses:

1. go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions

2. exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions

3. be an understudy or alternate for a role

4. reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)

5. do something in turns

  Familiarity information: ALTERNATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ALTERNATE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who takes the place of another person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

alternate; replacement; surrogate

Hypernyms ("alternate" is a kind of...):

backup; backup man; fill-in; relief; reliever; stand-in; substitute (someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult))

Derivation:

alternate (be an understudy or alternate for a role)

alternate (exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions)

alternate (serving or used in place of another)

• ALTERNATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Every second one of a series

Context example:

jam every other day

Similar:

cyclic; cyclical (recurring in cycles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Serving or used in place of another

Synonyms:

alternate; alternative; substitute

Context example:

an alternative plan

Similar:

secondary (being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate)

Derivation:

alternate (someone who takes the place of another person)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Occurring by turns; first one and then the other

Synonyms:

alternate; alternating

Context example:

alternating feelings of love and hate

Similar:

cyclic; cyclical (recurring in cycles)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Of leaves and branches etc; first on one side and then on the other in two ranks along an axis; not paired

Context example:

stems with alternate leaves

Domain category:

botany; phytology (the branch of biology that studies plants)

Antonym:

opposite (of leaves etc; growing in pairs on either side of a stem)

• ALTERNATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they alternate ... he / she / it alternates   
Past simple: alternated   
Past participle: alternated   
-ing form: alternating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

alternate; jump

Hypernyms (to "alternate" is one way to...):

alter; change; vary (become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

alternation (successive change from one thing or state to another and back again)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "alternate" is one way to...):

exchange (hand over one and receive another, approximately equivalent)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "alternate"):

rotate (exchange on a regular basis)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

alternate (someone who takes the place of another person)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Be an understudy or alternate for a role

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

alternate; understudy

Hypernyms (to "alternate" is one way to...):

con; learn; memorise; memorize (commit to memory; learn by heart)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

alternate (someone who takes the place of another person)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

alternate; flip; flip-flop; interchange; switch; tack

Hypernyms (to "alternate" is one way to...):

change by reversal; reverse; turn (change to the contrary)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Do something in turns

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

alternate; take turns

Context example:

We take turns on the night shift

Hypernyms (to "alternate" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "alternate"):

spell (take turns working)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

alternation (successive change from one thing or state to another and back again)

 Context examples 

This allele, which encodes complement factor D protein, is involved in the alternate complement pathway.

(CFD wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

The cellular infiltrate is composed of spindle-shaped melanocytes with pale cytoplasm alternating with bundles of pigmented spindle-shaped melanocytes.

(Cellular Blue Nevus, NCI Thesaurus)

A valve designed to control the flow of air to a carburetor or a coil in an electronic circuit that passes direct current and attenuates alternating current.

(Choke Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

A convulsion marked by alternating contracting and relaxing of the muscles.

(Clonic Convulsion, NCI Thesaurus)

An alternating, non-cross resistant regimen consisting of mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone and procarbazine (MOPP) followed by doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD), used for the initial treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

(MOPP/ABVD Alternating Regimen, NCI Thesaurus)

A form of involuntary muscular movement characterized by alternating contractions and relaxation in rapid succession.

(Clonus, NCI Thesaurus)

Cell Fate Control involves intercellular, cellular, and intracellular processes that regulate the generally irreversible commitment of a multipotent cell(s) to a specific ensuing cell development lineage among alternate potential lineage options.

(Cell Fate Control, NCI Thesaurus)

A regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide and etoposide, alternating with carboplatin and etoposide, used for the treatment of recurrent Wilm's tumor associated with high-risk features.

(CE-PE Childhood Kidney Cancer Regimen, NCI Thesaurus)

Premature heartbeats alternating regularly with normal beats.

(Bigeminy Adverse Event, NCI Thesaurus)

A cell-based cancer vaccine comprised of autologous dendritic cells pulsed with autologous T cell receptor gamma-chain alternate reading frame protein (TARP) peptide with potential immunostimulatory and antineoplastic activities.

(Autologous TARP Peptide-Pulsed Dendritic Cell Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)