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Origin of alternate

First recorded in 1505–15, alternate is from the Latin word alternātus (past participle of alternāre). See altern, -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM alternate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH alternate

alternate , alternative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alternate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alternate

alternate

verb (ˈɔːltəˌneɪt)
adjective (ɔːlˈtɜːnɪt)
noun (ˈɔːltənɪt, ɔːlˈtɜːnɪt)
US and Canadian a person who substitutes for another in his absence; stand-in

Word Origin for alternate

C16: from Latin alternāre to do one thing and then another, from alternus one after the other, from alter other
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for alternate

alternate
[ ôltər-nĭt ]

Arranged singly at intervals on a stem or twig. Elms, birches, oaks, cherry trees, and hickory trees have alternate leaves. Compare opposite.
Arranged regularly between other parts, as stamens between petals on a flower.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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