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单词 alternate
释义

alternate1/awlʹtuhnət, ʹol-/ adj

said of two things: occurring by turns

a day of alternate sunshine and rain

arranged one above or alongside the other; forming an alternating series

alternate layers of brick and stone

said of plant parts: arranged singly first on one side and then on the other at a different height or point along the stem, etc: compare opposite1 (4)

every other; every second

open on alternate days

chiefly NAmer = alternative1 (2)

alternately adv
[Latin alternatus, past part. of alternare to alternate, from alternus every other, from alter other (of two)]
alternate or alternative? In British English there is a clear distinction between these two words: alternate is an adjective and a verb, alternative is an adjective and a noun. Alternate means ‘every other’ (Meetings take place on alternate Wednesdays) or ‘occurring by turns’ (alternate layers of stone and brick). To alternate is ‘to do something by turns’: They alternated between urging us to go faster and telling us to slow down. An alternative is ‘another different person or thing that could act as a replacement’: an alternative venue; As an alternative to buying a new system, we could try to update the old one. In American English, however, alternate is widely used as an adjective in the sense of alternative (an alternate venue) and as a noun to mean ‘a deputy or substitute’

alternate2/ʹawltənayt, ʹol-/ verb trans

(often + with) of two things or people: to occur or do something by turns

to interchange (one person or thing) with another

(often + with) to interchange (somebody or something) with somebody or something else in turn

Alternate a book of the Old Testament with a book of the New — Somerset Maugham

verb intrans

(often + with) said of two things: to occur by turns

Joy alternated with despair

(often + between) to change repeatedly from one state or action to another

The mood alternated between calmness and hysteria

alternation /-ʹnaysh(ə)n/ noun

alternate3/awlʹtuhnət, ʹol-/ noun

chiefly NAmer somebody who takes the place of or alternates with somebody else; a deputy

chiefly NAmer a substitute or deputy
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更新时间：2024/12/23 3:33:37