King James Bible Dictionary

AL'TER, verb transitive [Latin alter another. See Alien.]

1. To make some change in; to make different in some particular; to vary in some degree, without an entire change.

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that has gone out of my lips. Psalms 89:34.

2. To change entirely or materially; as, to alter an opinion. In general, to alter is to change partially; to change is more generally to substitute one thing for another, or to make a material difference in a thing.

AL'TER, verb intransitive To become, in some respects, different; to vary; as, the weather alters almost daily.

The law which altereth not. Daniel 4:1.

AL'TERABILITY, noun The quality of being susceptible of alteration.

AL'TERABLE, adjective That may become different; that may vary.

AL'TERABLENESS, noun The quality of admitting alteration; variableness.

AL'TERABLY, adverb In a manner that may be altered, or varied.

AL'TERAGE, noun [From alo, to feed.]

The breeding, nourishing or fostering of a child. But this is not an English word.

AL'TERANT, adjective Altering; gradually changing.

AL'TERANT, noun A medicine which, without a sensible operation, gradually corrects the state of the body and changes it from a diseased to a healthy condition. An alterative.

ALTERA'TION, noun [Latin alteratio.]

The act of making different, or of varying in some particular; an altering or partial change; also the change made, or the loss or acquisition of qualities not essential to the form or nature of a thing. Thus a cold substance suffers an alteration when it becomes hot.

AL'TERATIVE, adjective Causing alteration; having the power to alter.

AL'TERATIVE, noun A medicine which, without sensible operation, gradually induces a change in the habit or constitution and restores healthy functions. This word is more generally used than alterant.

AL'TERCATE, verb intransitive [Latin altercor, alterco, from alter, another.]

To contend in words; to dispute with zeal, heat or anger; to wrangle.

ALTERCA'TION, noun [Latin altercatio.]

Warm contention in words; dispute carried on with heat or anger; controversy; wrangle.

AL'TERN adjective [Latin alternus, of alter, another.]

1. Acting by turns; one succeeding another; alternate, which is the word generally used.

2. In crystallography, exhibiting, on two parts, an upper and a lower part, faces which alternate among themselves, but which, when the two parts are compared, correspond with each other.

Altern-base, in trigonometry, is a term used in distinction from the true base. Thus in oblique triangles, the true base is the sum of the sides, and then the difference of the sides is the altern-base; or the true base is the difference of the sides, and then the sum of the sides is the altern-base.

AL'TERNACY, noun Performance or actions by turns. [Little used.]

ALTERN'AL, adjective Alternative. [Little used.]

ALTERN'ALLY, adverb By turns. [Little used.]

ALTERN'ATE, adjective [Latin alternatus.]

1. Being by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; hence reciprocal.

And bid alternate passions fall and rise.

2. In botany branches and leaves are alternate when they rise higher on opposite sides alternately, come out singly, and follow in gradual order.

Alternate alligation. [See Alligation.]

Alternate angles, in geometry, the internal angles made by a line cutting two parallels, and lying on opposite sides of the cutting line; the one below the first parallel, and the other above the second.

In heraldry, the first and fourth quarters, and the second and third, are usually of the same nature, and are called alternate quarters.

ALTERN'ATE, noun That which happens by turns with something else; vicissitude.

AL'TERNATE, verb transitive [Latin alterno. See Alter. With the accent on the second syllable, the participle alternating can hardly be pronounced.]

To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to change one thing for another reciprocally; as, God alternates good and evil.

AL'TERNATE, verb intransitive

1. To happen or to act by turns; as, the flood and ebb tides alternate with each other.

2. To follow reciprocally in place.

Different species alternating with each other.

ALTERN'ATELY, adverb In reciprocal succession; by turns, so that each is succeeded by that which it succeeds, as night follows day and day follows night.

ALTERN'ATENESS, noun The quality of being alternate, or of following in succession.

AL'TERNATING, participle present tense Performing or following by turns.

ALTERNA'TION, noun

1. The reciprocal succession of things, in time or place; the act of following and being followed in succession; as, we observe the alternation of day and night, cold and heat, summer and winter.

2. The different changes or alterations of orders, in numbers. Thus, if it is required to know how many changes can be rung on six bells, multiply the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, continually into one another, and the last product is the number required. This is call permutation.

3. The answer of the congregation speaking alternately with the minister.

4. Alternate performance, in the choral sense.

ALTERN'ATIVE, adjective Offering a choice of two things.

ALTERN'ATIVE, noun That which may be chosen or omitted; a choice of two things, so that if one is taken, the other must be left. Thus, when two things offer a choice of one only, the two things are called alternatives. In strictness, then, the word can not be applied to more than two things, and when one thing only is offered for choice, it is said there is no alternative

Between these alternatives there is no middle ground.

ALTERN'ATIVELY, adverb In the manner of alternatives; in a manner that admits the choice of one out of two things.

ALTERN'ATIVENESS, noun The quality or state of being alternative.

ALTERN'ITY, noun Succession by turns; alternation.