alternate

Universal Words adjective, verb, noun adjective [usuallybeforenoun] 1 (of two things) happening or following one after the other regularly: alternate layers of fruit and whipped cream * Stretch up 30 times with alternate arms as a warm-up exercise. 2 if sth happens on alternate days, nights, etc. it happens on one day, etc. but not on the next: John has to work on alternate Sundays. * The ferry service will initially run on alternate days, increasing eventually to daily sailings. 3 (especially AmE) = ALTERNATIVE alternately adverb: He felt alternately hot and cold with anxiety. verb 1 [VN] ~ A and B