ALTERNATING

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does alternating mean? 

• ALTERNATING (adjective)
  The adjective ALTERNATING has 2 senses:

1. (of a current) reversing direction

2. occurring by turns; first one and then the other

  Familiarity information: ALTERNATING used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ALTERNATING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(of a current) reversing direction

Context example:

alternating current

Domain category:

electricity (a physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons)

Antonym:

direct ((of a current) flowing in one direction only)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Occurring by turns; first one and then the other

Synonyms:

alternate; alternating

Context example:

alternating feelings of love and hate

Similar:

cyclic; cyclical (recurring in cycles)

 Context examples 

A regimen comprised of an initial induction regimen, followed by three different consolidation regimens, given on alternating schedule and used for the treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

(Linker Regimen, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by the presence of alternating bands of mature adipose tissue and spindle-cell fibrous tissue, without destruction of the adipose tissue architecture.

(Lipofibromatosis, NCI Thesaurus)

An indolent, late-metastasizing variant of fibrosarcoma characterized by alternating fibrous and myxoid areas and a whorling growth pattern.

(Low Grade Fibromyxoid Sarcoma, NCI Thesaurus)

An electric generator designed to produce an alternating current.

(Alternator Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)

This uniformly alternating intensity of such a test object can be used to visually assess the resolution of an imaging device.

(Line Pair, NCI Thesaurus)

All that evening I had felt like the soldier who awaits the signal which will send him on a forlorn hope; hope of victory and fear of repulse alternating in his mind.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine and prednisone (COOP) alternating with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD), used for the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

(COPP-ABVD Regimen, NCI Thesaurus)

An electrocardiographic finding in which there is an alternating pattern of any of the waveform components.

(Electrical Alternans by ECG Finding, NCI Thesaurus)

A rare histological variant of glioblastoma (WHO grade IV) characterized by a biphasic tissue pattern with alternating areas displaying glial and mesenchymal differentiation (WHO).

(Gliosarcoma, NCI Thesaurus)

An electrical device that converts direct current to alternating current.

(Inverter Device Component, NCI Thesaurus)