alternate /olˈ or ölˈtər-nāt, also alˈ, formerly (eg Milton) -tûrˈ/

To cause to follow by turns or one after the other (properly, of two things)

1. To follow or interchange (with each other; properly, of two things)
2. To happen by turns, change by turns

1. A deputy, substitute
2. An alternative

1. Arranged or coming one after the other by turns
2. Every other or second
3. Sometimes used with the sense ‘alternative’
4. (of leaves) placed singly with change of side at each node
5. (of parts of a flower) each placed opposite the space between other parts of the flower
6. (of angles) placed one after the other on either side of a line (geometry)

alterˈnance (or /alˈ/) noun

1. Alternation, interchange or variation
2. Training by alternate periods of theoretical and practical work

alterˈnant or alˈternant adjective

Alternating

1. A spelling or sound variant that does not affect meaning (allomorph or allophone)
2. A type of determinant (mathematics)
3. An alternative proposition, eg one of the components in an alternation (logic)

alterˈnately adverb

alˈternating adjective

alternāˈtion noun

1. The act of alternating
2. Alternate succession
3. Interchange
4. The type of disjunction in which ‘or’ is used inclusively (logic)
5. Reading or singing antiphonally

alˈternātor noun

A generator of alternating current

• Mothering Sunday
• mother-in-law
• mother-in-law's tongue
• mother-in-law's tongues
• motherland
• motherlands
• motherless
• motherliness
• motherlinesses
• mother liquor
• mother lode
• mother lodes
• motherly
• mother lye
• mother-naked
• Mother of God
• mother-of-millions
• mother-of-pearl
• mother of the chapel
• mother-of-thousands
• mother of vinegar
• mother-right
• mothers
• Mother's Day
• Mother's Days