Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: , past participle of alternare 'to alternate', from alternus 'alternate', from alter; ALTER

alternate

1 adjective
     
al‧ter‧nate1 [usually before noun]
1 if something happens on alternate days, weeks etc, it happens on one day etc and not the next, and continues in this pattern
alternate Mondays/weekends etc
The service runs on alternate days.
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 [= alternative]:
the appointment of an alternate director
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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