alternating, ppl. a.
(ˈæltəˌneɪtɪŋ, ˈɔːl-)
[f. alternate v. + -ing2.]
a. Succeeding each other by turns. b. Occurring in alternation to something else. c. Consisting of alternations.
| 1837 W. Howitt Rur. Life iii. iii. (1862) 230 A land of alternating ridge and hollow. 1841 J. Trimmer Pract. Geol. 180 Large masses which occupy extensive districts..without any other alternating rock. 1855 Bain Senses & Intell. i. ii. §18 (1864) 50 An alternating movement is thus kept up. 1862 Trench Mirac. xxix. 415 Alternating ebbs and flows. |
d. alternating current (abbrev. A.C., a.c.): an electric current which reverses its direction at regular intervals. So alternating machine, etc.
| 1839 Ann. Electr., Magn., & Chem. III. 389 The alternating currents, from the semi-revolutions of the armatures, are converted into a current of the same direction, by the application of my pole changer. 1869 Brit. Pat. No. 3196 A foot motion..is employed to generate a rapid succession of alternating currents. 1879 G. B. Prescott Sp. Telephone xiv. 491 Alternating magneto machine. 1884 F. Krohn tr. Glaser de Cew's Magn.- & Dyn.-Electr. Mach. 249 The Ferranti alternating current generator. 1888 E. Atkinson tr. Mascart & Joubert's Electr. & Magn. II. 289 Use of the Electrodynamometer with Alternating Currents. 1903 Electr. Times 31 Dec. 962/1 (heading) The Ferranti A.C. Meter. 1910 Hawkins' Electr. Dict. 2/1, a.c., abbreviation for alternating current. 1922 Glazebrook Dict. Appl. Physics II. 30/2 The potentiometer is then thrown on to the A.C. supply. 1931 Times Trade & Engin. Suppl. 24 Jan. p. iv/3 The Mooltan has British Thomson-Houston a.c. generators. |