alter

To change the form or structure of.

Noun human sciences, psychology

  1. One of the personalities, identities, or selves in a person with dissociative identity disorder or another form of multiplicity.
    • While the second goal would be best met if each alter were coconscious, the defendant should be satisfied if at least one competent alter is present to hear what transpires. - 2000, Elyn R. Saks, Stephen H. Behnke,...

    Synonyms: headmate

Origin

Probably from alter ego.

Forms

alters

Noun alt of, misspelling

  1. Misspelling of altar.
    • As an alter boy he remembered that walking between the alter and the gates was prohibited for everyone except the priest. - 2002, Nicholas Smeed, Resurrections: Vignettes About Discovery, Relationships, Personal...
    • The hardest part of being an alter boy was learning Latin. The mass was conducted in Latin and we had to learn to pray in Latin. - 2007, Jerry P. Martinez, Leche De Coyote, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 39:
    • On the alter, several candles sat unlit. An open bible rested among the candles. Behind the alter, hanging high, a huge cross was affixed to the wall, with a replica of Jesus in rags nailed to it. A simple wooden door...

Related

alter kaker

Verb

  1. To change the form or structure of.
    • Near-synonym: tweak
    • No power in Venice can alter a decree. - c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
    • Lou's not Times foole, though roſie lips and cheeks VVithin his bending ſickles compaſſe come, Loue alters not with his breefe houres and vveekes, But beares it out euen to the edge of doome: If this be error and vpon...

    Synonyms: tweak

  2. To become different.
    • […] Passing the song of the hermit bird and the tallying song of my soul, / Victorious song, death’s outlet song, yet varying ever-altering song, […] - 1865, Walt Whitman, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”, in...
  3. To tailor clothes to make them fit.
  4. To castrate, neuter or spay (a dog or other animal).
  5. To affect mentally, as by psychotropic drugs or illness.
    • We don't know if he was altered on alcohol or drugs or anything […] - 2016 February 10, Sydney Pruitt and Claire Ricke (quoting Jeff Barrick), "Police: Man lying in street hit, killed by Capital Metro bus", KXAN

Origin

From Old French alterer (French altérer), from Medieval Latin alterāre (“to make other”), from Latin alter (“the other”), from al- (seen in alius (“other”), alienus (“of another”), etc.; see alias, alien, etc.) + compar. suffix -ter.

Forms

alters altering altered altre

Synonyms

adapt alter amend change convert differentiate innovate metamorphose modify revamp rework transform transmogrify transume variate vary

Antonyms

preserve leave alone leave be let alone let be

Hyponyms

deconvert diversify homogenize mix revert improve repair worsen

Related

alterant alteration alternate alternative

Derived

alterability alterable alterably alterative alter-ego alterer alter-globalist alter-globalization alteringly alter or change mind-altering misalter prealter realter unalter unaltering