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Alternate vs Cross - What's the difference?

alternate | cross |

As an adjective alternate

is being or succeeding by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; by turns first one and then the other; hence, reciprocal.

As a noun alternate

is that which alternates with something else; vicissitude.

As a verb alternate

is to perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly.

As a proper noun cross is

for someone who lived near a stone cross on a road.

alternate

English

(Webster 1913)

Adjective

(-)
  • Being or succeeding by turns; one following the other in succession of time or place; by turns first one and then the other; hence, reciprocal.
  • And bid alternate passions fall and rise . -
  • (mathematics) Designating the members in a series, which regularly intervene between the members of another series, as the odd or even numbers of the numerals; every other; every second.
  • the alternate members 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.
  • (US) Other; alternative.
  • Hyperlinked text is displayed in alternate color in a Web browser.
  • (botany) Distributed, as leaves, singly at different heights of the stem, and at equal intervals as respects angular divergence.
  • (Gray)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which alternates with something else; vicissitude.
  • * Matthew Prior
  • Grateful alternates of substantial.
  • (US) A substitute; an alternative; one designated to take the place of another, if necessary, in performing some duty.
  • (mathematics) A proportion derived from another proportion by interchanging the means.
  • (US) A replacement of equal or greater value or function.
  • (heraldry) Figures or tinctures that succeed each other by turns.
  • Verb

    (alternat)
  • To perform by turns, or in succession; to cause to succeed by turns; to interchange regularly.
  • * Grew
  • The most high God, in all things appertaining unto this life, for sundry wise ends alternates the disposition of good and evil.
  • To happen, succeed, or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time; followed by with .
  • The flood and ebb tides alternate with each other.
  • To vary by turns.
  • ''The land alternates between rocky hills and sandy plains.

    Derived terms

    * alternate allegation * alternate angles * alternate generation * alternately * alternation

    See also

    * alternative * variant

    cross

    English

    Noun

    (es)
  • A geometrical figure consisting of two straight lines or bars intersecting each other such that at least one of them is bisected by the other.
  • Put a cross for a wrong answer and a tick for a right one.
  • (heraldiccharge) Any geometric figure having this or a similar shape, such as a cross of Lorraine or a Maltese cross.
  • A wooden post with a perpendicular beam attached and used (especially in the Roman Empire) to execute criminals (by crucifixion).
  • Criminals were commonly executed on a wooden cross .
  • (usually with the) The cross on which Christ was crucified.
  • A hand gesture made by Catholics in imitation of the shape of the Cross.
  • She made the cross after swearing.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • Before the cross has waned the crescent's ray.
  • * Cowper
  • 'Tis where the cross is preached.
  • (Christianity) A modified representation of the crucifixion stake, worn as jewellery or displayed as a symbol of religious devotion.
  • She was wearing a cross on her necklace.
  • (figurative, from Christ's bearing of the cross ) A difficult situation that must be endured.
  • It's a cross I must bear.
  • * Ben Jonson
  • Heaven prepares a good man with crosses .
  • The act of going across; the act of passing from one side to the other
  • A quick cross of the road.
  • (biology) An animal or plant produced by crossbreeding or cross-fertilization.
  • (by extension) A hybrid of any kind.
  • * Lord Dufferin
  • Toning down the ancient Viking into a sort of a cross between Paul Jones and Jeremy Diddler
  • (boxing) A hook thrown over the opponent's punch.
  • (football) A pass in which the ball travels from by one touchline across the pitch.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2010 , date=December 29 , author=Chris Whyatt , title=Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=And Stamford Bridge erupted with joy as Florent Malouda slotted in a cross from Drogba, who had stayed just onside. }}
  • A place where roads intersect and lead off in four directions; a crossroad (common in UK and Irish place names such as Gerrards Cross ).
  • A monument that marks such a place. (Also common in UK or Irish place names such as Charing Cross )
  • (obsolete) A coin stamped with the figure of a cross, or that side of such a piece on which the cross is stamped; hence, money in general.
  • * Shakespeare
  • I should bear no cross if I did bear you; for I think you have no money in your purse.
  • (obsolete, Ireland) Church lands.
  • A line drawn across or through another line.
  • (surveying) An instrument for laying of offsets perpendicular to the main course.
  • A pipe-fitting with four branches whose axes usually form a right angle.
  • (Rubik's Cube) Four edge cubies of one side that are in their right places, forming the shape of a cross.
  • Synonyms

    * (production of cross-breeding or -fertilization) hybrid * (cross on which Christ was crucified) True Cross

    Derived terms

    * Celtic cross * crossroads * cross-stitch * double cross * fiery cross * Latin cross * left cross * Maltese cross * Saint Andrew's cross * * True Cross * right cross

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Transverse; lying across the main direction.
  • At the end of each row were cross benches which linked the rows.
  • * Isaac Newton
  • the cross refraction of the second prism
  • (archaic) Opposite, opposed to.
  • His actions were perversely cross to his own happiness.
  • Opposing, adverse; being contrary to what one would hope or wish for.
  • *, New York Review of Books, 2001, p.50:
  • As a fat body is more subject to diseases, so are rich men to absurdities and fooleries, to many casualties and cross inconveniences.
  • * Jeremy Taylor
  • a cross fortune
  • * Glanvill
  • the cross and unlucky issue of my design
  • * South
  • The article of the resurrection seems to lie marvellously cross to the common experience of mankind.
  • * Dryden
  • We are both love's captives, but with fates so cross , / One must be happy by the other's loss.
  • Bad-tempered, angry, annoyed.
  • She was rather cross about missing her train on the first day of the job.
    Please don't get cross''' at me.'' (or) ''Please don't get '''cross with me.
  • * Jeremy Taylor
  • He had received a cross answer from his mistress.
  • Made in an opposite direction, or an inverse relation; mutually inverse; interchanged.
  • cross interrogatories
    cross marriages, as when a brother and sister marry persons standing in the same relation to each other

    Synonyms

    * (opposite to) contrarily, opposed, reverse, antipodal * (mildly angry) angry, annoyed, irritated

    Derived terms

    * cross cut * cross-examine * crossly * cross-multiplication * crosspatch * cross purposes * cross-section * cross-wise

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • (archaic) across
  • She walked cross the mountains.
  • * L'Estrange
  • A fox was taking a walk one night cross a village.
  • cross product of the previous vector and the following vector.
  • The Lorentz force is q times v cross B.

    Verb

    (es)
  • To make or form a .
  • # To place across or athwart; to cause to intersect.
  • # To lay or draw something across, such as a line.
  • # To mark with an X.
  • # To write lines at right angles.(w)
  • #*
  • #*:An indulgent playmate, Grannie would lay aside the long scratchy-looking letter she was writing (heavily crossed ‘to save notepaper’) and enter into the delightful pastime of ‘a chicken from Mr Whiteley's’.
  • # To make the sign of the cross over oneself.
  • To move relatively.
  • # (label) To go from one side of (something) to the other.
  • #*
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=8 , passage=Now we plunged into a deep shade with the boughs lacing each other overhead, and crossed dainty, rustic bridges over the cold trout-streams, the boards giving back the clatter of our horses' feet: or anon we shot into a clearing, with a colored glimpse of the lake and its curving shore far below us.}}
  • #* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=June 19, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= England 1-0 Ukraine , passage=Ukraine, however, will complain long and hard about a contentious second-half incident when Marko Devic's shot clearly crossed the line before it was scrambled away by John Terry, only for the officials to remain unmoved.}}
  • # (label) To travel in a direction or path that will intersect with that of another.
  • # (label) To pass, as objects going in an opposite direction at the same time.
  • #* (James David Forbes) (1809-1868)
  • Your kind letter crossed mine.
  • # (label) Relative movement by a player or of players.
  • ## Of both batsmen, to pass each other when running between the wickets in order to score runs.
  • ## (label) To pass the ball from one side of the pitch to the other side.
  • #
  • ## (label) To score a try.
  • ##* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=February 12, author=Mark Orlovac, work=BBC
  • , title= England 59-13 Italy , passage=England cut loose at the end of the half, Ashton, Mark Cueto and Mike Tindall all crossing before the break. }}
  • (label) To oppose.
  • # (label) To contradict (another) or frustrate the plans of.
  • # To interfere and cut off; to debar.
  • #* (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • to cross me from the golden time I look for
  • # (label) To conduct a cross examination; to question a hostile witness.
  • (label) To cross-fertilize or crossbreed.
  • To stamp or mark a cheque in such a way as to prevent it being cashed, thus requiring it to be deposited into a bank account.
  • Synonyms

    * (to cross-fertilize or crossbreed) cross-fertilize, crossbreed

    Derived terms

    * crossing * cross off * cross one's arms * cross one's fingers * cross one's heart * cross one's legs * cross out * cross over * crossover * cross paths * cross someone's palm * cross the aisle * crossword