I. al ‧ ter ‧ nate 1 AC /ɔːlˈtɜːnət, ɔːlˈtɜːnɪt $ ˈɒːltər-, ˈæl-/ BrE AmE adjective [usually before noun]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of alternare 'to alternate' , from alternus 'alternate' , from alter ; ⇨ ↑ alter ]
1 . if something happens on alternate days, weeks etc, it happens on one day etc and not the next, and continues in this pattern ⇨ every other
alternate Mondays/weekends etc
The service runs on alternate days.
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In everyday English, instead of alternate days/Fridays/weeks etc, people usually use the phrase every other day/Friday/week etc:
▪ We meet on alternate Saturdays. ➔ We meet every other Saturday.
2 . two alternate things are placed one after the other in a regular pattern:
alternate blue and red stripes
Arrange the leeks and noodles in alternate layers.
3 . used to replace another thing of the same type SYN alternative :
the appointment of an alternate director
II. al ‧ ter ‧ nate 2 AC /ˈɔːltəneɪt $ ˈɒːltər-, ˈæl-/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
if two things alternate, or if you alternate them, they happen one after the other in a repeated pattern
alternate between
She alternated between outrage and sympathy.
alternate with
Periods of depression alternate with excited behavior.
alternate something and/with something
Twist your body, alternating right and left stretches.
—alternation /ˌɔːltəˈneɪʃ ə n $ ˌɒːltər-, ˌæl-/ noun [uncountable and countable]