v. 1 rotate, exchange, change, interchange, take turns, go or take, etc. in turn, US change off, interexchange To help out, we could alternate our days off 2 succeed, be in succession or rotation The wallpaper had alternating stripes of pink, grey, and maroon
adj. 3 in rotation, successive; every other, every second The embankment revealed alternate layers of clay and gravel The nurse visited our district on alternate days. 4 alternative, second, other The alternate selection contains only milk chocolate
n. 5 variant, alternative, (second) choice, US and Canadian substitute, deputy, stand-in, backup, understudy; pinch-hitter, Baseball designated hitter I prefer the alternate to the featured model My alternate takes over if I am ill.