ALTERING • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Altering

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/ˈɔltərɪŋ/ Listen

verb

Alter v. t. (past & past part. altered; pres. part. altering)

To make otherwise; to change in some respect, either partially or wholly; to vary; to modify. "To alter the king's course." "To alter the condition of a man." "No power in Venice can alter a decree." "It gilds all objects, but it alters none." "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips."

To agitate; to affect mentally. (Obs.)

To geld. (Colloq.)

Synonyms: Change, Alter. Change is generic and the stronger term. It may express a loss of identity, or the substitution of one thing in place of another; alter commonly expresses a partial change, or a change in form or details without destroying identity.

Alter v. i. To become, in some respects, different; to vary; to change; as, the weather alters almost daily; rocks or minerals alter by exposure. "The law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not."

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Etymology of 'Altering'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Altering" Quotes from Famous Books

... that can purify even these); the 'trewth' of Mr. Chadband, and 'natur' of Mr. Squeers, are examples of the corruption of words by insensibility: the use of the word 'bloody' in modern low English is a deeper corruption, not altering the form of the word, but defiling the ...

— The Crown of Wild Olive • John Ruskin

... Commons has been punished for its independence. That example is made. Have we an example on record of a House of Commons punished for its servility? The rewards of a senate so disposed are manifest to the world. Several gentlemen are very desirous of altering the constitution of the House of Commons; but they must alter the frame and constitution of human nature itself before they can so fashion it by any mode of election that its conduct will not be influenced by reward and punishment, ...

— Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke. • Edmund Burke

... still more difficult to find any justification for holding that the special resolutions of this House adopted December 19th last, or the standing rules even of the House, were intended to prevent the House, if a majority so desired, from altering or abrogating the present rules ...

— Slavery and Four Years of War, Vol. 1-2 • Joseph Warren Keifer

... the other day, that the noble lord in the blue ribbon carried up to the House of Peers two acts, altering, I think much for the better, but altering in a great degree, our whole commercial system: those acts, I mean, for giving a free trade to Ireland in woollens, and in all things else, with independent nations, and giving them an equal trade to our own colonies. Here, ...

— The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. II. (of 12) • Edmund Burke

... attend the proceedings on her ladyship's behalf. He was one of that large class of purely mechanical and perfectly mediocre persons connected with the practice of the law who will probably, in a more advanced state of science, be superseded by machinery. He made himself useful in altering the arrangement of the tables and chairs, so as to keep the contending parties effectually separated from each other. He also entreated Lady Lundie to bear in mind that he knew nothing of Scotch law, and that he was there in the capacity of a friend only. This done, ...

— Man and Wife • Wilkie Collins

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