What is the meaning of alternate?

noun

• Someone who takes the place of another person.
  • synonyms: surrogate, replacement

verb

• Go back and forth; swing back and forth between two states or conditions.
  • synonyms: jump
• Exchange people temporarily to fulfill certain jobs and functions.
• Be an understudy or alternate for a role.
  • synonyms: understudy
• Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action.
  • synonyms: interchange, tack, switch, flip, flip-flop
• Do something in turns.
  • usage: "We take turns on the night shift"
  • synonyms: take turns

adjective

• Every second one of a series. "the cleaning lady comes on alternate Wednesdays"; "jam every other day- the White Queen
• Serving or used in place of another.
  • usage: "an alternative plan"
  • synonyms: alternative, substitute
• Occurring by turns; first one and then the other.
  • usage: "alternating feelings of love and hate"
  • synonyms: alternating
• Of leaves and branches etc; first on one side and then on the other in two ranks along an axis; not paired.
  • usage: "stems with alternate leaves"