alternation
nounUK /ˈɒl.tə(ɹ)ˌneɪ.ʃən/ · US /ˈɔl.tɚˌneɪ.ʃən/
Etymology Learned borrowing from Latin alternatio; compare French alternation. By surface analysis, alternate + -ion.
9 senses
- 1The reciprocal succession of (normally two) things in…
- 2The response of the congregation speaking alternately…
- 3Ablaut.
- 4A pattern by which more than one construct is possible…
- 5The "inclusive or" truth function.
- 6A sequence that alternates between positive and negative values.
- 7A permutation.
- 8A construct in a regular expression that can match any…
- 9A type of partial truncation of a polygon, polyhedron or…
The reciprocal succession of (normally two) things in time or place; the act of following and being followed by turns; alternate succession, performance, or occurrence
- the alternation of day and night
- alternation of summer and winter
2 more examples
- alternation between night shifts and day shifts
- alternation of feelings between hope and fear
Lifestyle, Religion The response of the congregation speaking alternately with the minister.
- There are Anthems to be found amongst them , where every syllable has its just length ; each part of a sentence its proper pause : where the words are not confused by perplexing alternations, or rendered tedious by unnecessary repetitions1795, William Mason, Essays, Historical and Critical, on English Church Music:
Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonology, Sciences Ablaut.
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences A pattern by which more than one construct is possible, as with "Alice cooked Bob dinner" and "Alice cooked dinner for Bob".
- dative alternation; locative alternation
Human sciences, Logic, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sciences The "inclusive or" truth function.
Mathematics, Sciences A sequence that alternates between positive and negative values.
Mathematics, Sciences Proscribed A permutation.
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A construct in a regular expression that can match any of several specified subexpressions.
Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences A type of partial truncation of a polygon, polyhedron or tiling in which alternate vertices are removed.
- 1932, Harold Scott Macdonald Coxeter, The densities of the regular polytopes, part 2, reprinted in 1995, F. Arthur Sherk, Peter Mcmullen, Anthony C. Thompson, Asia Ivić Weiss (editors), Kaleidoscopes: Selected Writings of H. S. M. Coxeter, page 54, This case suggests that the alternation of a polyhedron should be bounded by actual vertex figures and alternated faces. The case of the cube is in agreement with this notion, since the alternated square is nothing.