Alternateness

al·ter·nate  (ôltr-nt, l-)

v. al·ter·nat·ed, al·ter·nat·ing, al·ter·nates

v.intr.

1.

a. To occur in a successive manner: day alternating with night.

b. To act or proceed by turns: The students alternated at the computer.

2. To pass back and forth from one state, action, or place to another: alternated between happiness and depression.

3. Electricity To reverse direction at regular intervals in a circuit.

v.tr.

1. To do or execute by turns.

2. To cause to alternate: alternated light and dark squares to form a pattern.

adj. (-nt)

1. Happening or following in turns; succeeding each other continuously: alternate seasons of the year. See Usage Note at alternative.

2. Designating or relating to every other one of a series: alternate lines.

3. Serving or used in place of another; substitute: an alternate plan.

4. Botany

a. Arranged singly at each node, as leaves or buds on different sides of a stem.

b. Arranged regularly between other parts, as stamens between petals.

n. (-nt)

1. A person acting in the place of another; a substitute.

2. An alternative.

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[Latin alternre, alternt-, from alternus, by turns, from alter, other; see al-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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alter·nate·ly adv.

alter·nate·ness n.