Part 201

4. A choice between more than two things; one of several things offered to choose among.

My decided preference is for the fourth and last of these alternatives. Gladstone.

Al*ter"na*tive*ly, adv. In the manner of alternatives, or that admits the choice of one out of two things.

Al*ter"na*tive*ness, n. The quality of being alternative, or of offering a choice between two.

Al*ter"ni*ty (&?;), n. [LL. alternitas.] Succession by turns; alternation. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

{ ||Al*thæ"a, ||Al*the"a } (&?;), n. [althaea, Gr. &?;.] (Bot.) (a) A genus of plants of the Mallow family. It includes the officinal marsh mallow, and the garden hollyhocks. (b) An ornamental shrub (Hibiscus Syriacus) of the Mallow family.

Al*the"ine (&?;), n. (Chem.) Asparagine.

Al*tho" (&?;), conj. Although. [Reformed spelling]

Alt"horn` (&?;), n. [Alt + horn.] (Mus.) An instrument of the saxhorn family, used exclusively in military music, often replacing the French horn. Grove.

Al*though" (&?;), conj. [All + though; OE. al thagh.] Grant all this; be it that; supposing that; notwithstanding; though.

Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. Mark xiv. 29.

Syn. -- Although, Though. Although, which originally was perhaps more emphatic than though, is now interchangeable with it in the sense given above. Euphonic consideration determines the choice.

Al*til"o*quence (&?;), n. Lofty speech; pompous language. [R.] Bailey.

Al*til"o*quent (&?;), a. [L. altus (adv. alte) high + loquens, p. pr. of loqui to speak.] High-sounding; pompous in speech. [R.] Bailey.

Al*tim"e*ter (&?;), n. [LL. altimeter; altus high + metrum, Gr. &?;, measure: cf. F. altimètre.] An instrument for taking altitudes, as a quadrant, sextant, etc. Knight.

Al*tim"e*try (&?;), n. [Cf. F. altimétrie.] The art of measuring altitudes, or heights.

Al*tin"car (&?;), n. See Tincal.

Al"ti*scope (&?;), n. [L. altus high + Gr. &?; to view.] An arrangement of lenses and mirrors which enables a person to see an object in spite of intervening objects.

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Al*tis"o*nant (l*ts"*nant), a. [L. altus high + sonans, p. pr. of sonare to sound.] High-sounding; lofty or pompous. Skelton.

Al*tis"o*nous (-ns), a. [L. altisonus.] Altisonant.

||Al*tis"si*mo (&?;), n. [It.; superl. of alto.] (Mus.) The part or notes situated above F in alt.

Al"ti*tude (&?;), n. [L. altitudo, fr. altus high. Cf. Altar, Haughty, Enhance.] 1. Space extended upward; height; the perpendicular elevation of an object above its foundation, above the ground, or above a given level, or of one object above another; as, the altitude of a mountain, or of a bird above the top of a tree.

2. (Astron.) The elevation of a point, or star, or other celestial object, above the horizon, measured by the arc of a vertical circle intercepted between such point and the horizon. It is either true or apparent; true when measured from the rational or real horizon, apparent when from the sensible or apparent horizon.

3. (Geom.) The perpendicular distance from the base of a figure to the summit, or to the side parallel to the base; as, the altitude of a triangle, pyramid, parallelogram, frustum, etc.

4. Height of degree; highest point or degree.

He is [proud] even to the altitude of his virtue. Shak.

5. Height of rank or excellence; superiority. Swift.