Definition of "alternation"

alternation

/ˈɒl.tə(ɹ).ˌneɪ.ʃən/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural alternations
1. 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
2. (religion) The response of the congregation speaking alternately with the minister.
  Quotations
  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 repetitions
  1795, William Mason, Essays, Historical and Critical, on English Church Music
3. (phonology) Ablaut.
4. (linguistics) A pattern by which more than one construct is possible, as with "Alice cooked Bob dinner" and "Alice cooked dinner for Bob".
5. (logic) The "inclusive or" truth function.
6. (mathematics) A sequence that alternates between positive and negative values; sometimes incorrectly used to mean permutation.
7. (computing) A construct in a regular expression that can match any of several specified subexpressions.
8. (geometry) A type of partial truncation of a polygon, polyhedron or tiling in which alternate vertices are removed.
  Quotations
  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.
  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