(of two things 兩事物 happening or following one after the other regularly 交替的；輪流的 alternate layers of fruit and cream 水果層和奶油層相間 Stretch up 30 times with alternate arms as a warm-up exercise. 交替雙臂向上伸展30次，作爲熱身運動。
if something happens on alternate days, nights, etc. it happens on one day, etc. but not on the next 間隔的；每隔（…天等）的 John has to work on alternate Sundays. 約翰每隔一周就有一個星期日得上班。 The ferry service will initially run on alternate days, increasing eventually to daily sailings. 輪渡服務最初將隔天運行，最終增加到每天一班。
- (especially North American English) (also alternative British and North American English)
that can be used instead of something else 可以用來代替其他東西
Word Originearly 16th cent.: from Latin alternat- ‘done by turns’, from alternare, from alternus ‘every other’, from alter ‘other’.