alter

• vt. 改变，更改
• vi. 改变；修改
• n. (Alter)人名；(英)奥尔特；(德、捷、葡、爱沙、立陶、拉脱、俄、西、罗、瑞典)阿尔特

词根al, 异，不同。-ter, 比较级后缀。

1. cause to change; make different; cause a transformation;

"The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"

"The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"

2. make or become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence;

"her mood changes in accordance with the weather"

"The supermarket's selection of vegetables varies according to the season"

3. make an alteration to;

"This dress needs to be altered"

4. insert words into texts, often falsifying it thereby

5. remove the ovaries of;

"Is your cat spayed?"

alter

alter: [14] Alter comes from the Latin word for ‘other (of two)’, alter. In late Latin a verb was derived from this, alterāre, which English acquired via French altérer. Latin alter (which also gave French autre and English alternate [16], alternative [17], altercation [14], and altruism, not to mention alter ego) was formed from the root *al- (source of Latin alius – from which English gets alien, alias, and alibi – Greek allos ‘other’, and English else) and the comparative suffix *-tero-, which occurs also in English other.

Hence the underlying meaning of Latin alter (and, incidentally, of English other) is ‘more other’, with the implication of alternation between the two.
=> alias, alien, alternative, altruism, else

alter (v.)

late 14c., "to change (something)," from Old French alterer "change, alter," from Medieval Latin alterare "to change," from Latin alter "the other (of the two)," from PIE *al- "beyond" (see alias (adv.)) + comparative suffix -ter (as in other). Intransitive sense "to become otherwise" first recorded 1580s. Related: Altered; altering.

change, alter, vary, convert, modify, transform, turn

这些动词均含有"变化，改变"之意。

change： 指任何变化，完全改变，强调与原先的情况有明显的不同。

alter： 常指轻微的改变，强调基本上保持原物、原状的情况下所进行的部分改变。

vary： 暗示不规则或断断续续地变。

convert： 指进行全部或局部改变以适应新的功能或用途。指信仰或态度时，强调较激烈、大的改变。

modify： 强调起限定作用的变化或变更。指细小的变化，常含"缓和、降调"的意味。

transform： 指人或物在形状、外观、形式、性质等方面发生的彻底变化，失去原状成为全新的东西。

turn： 指外形、颜色、气味、性质等方面的变化，比change更通俗。

Although this incident very much alters the race of the two participants competing for a win, both are going to continue on their way toward the finish line.

出自-2017年6月听力原文

There are a lot of existing perceptions about British food and so we can't alter these too much.

出自-2011年6月阅读原文

We can't do much to alter sedentary lifestyles, but we can provide consumers with great-tasting products, low in salt, sugar and fat.

2018年12月四级真题（第二套）阅读 Section C

Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow explains that when people feel the pressure to be always on, they find ways to accommodate that pressure, including altering their schedules, work habits and interactions with family and friends.

出自-2016年12月阅读原文

The passive attitude we have to climate change as individuals can be altered by counting us in — and measuring us against - our peer group.

出自-2015年12月阅读原文

If you want to change his course, you have only a few choices: you can stop him, transferring ( ' , possibly painfully) some of his kinetic energy ( ' , 动能 ) to your own body, or you can approach alongside and slowly apply pressure to gradually alter his course.

出自-2015年12月阅读原文

Our living habits are altered

出自-2014年6月听力原文

If you want to change his course, you have only a few choices: you can stop him, transferring possibly painfullysome of his kinetic energy to your own body, or toucan approach alongside and slowly apply pressure to gradually alter his course.

2015年12月六级真题（第一套）阅读 Section B

Menand, is to alter the way in which “the producers of knowledge are produced”.

出自-2011年考研阅读原文

They could still invalidate Fourth Amendment protections when facing severe, urgent circumstances, and they could take reasonable measures to ensure that phone data are not erased or altered while a warrant is pending.

出自-2015年考研阅读原文

An awareness that they were being experimented upon seemed to be enough to alter workers' behavior by itself.

2010年考研真题（英语一）完形填空 Section Ⅰ

The key to reforming higher education, concludes Mr. Menand, is to alter the way in which "the producers of knowledge are produced."

2011年考研真题（英语一）阅读理解 Section Ⅱ

We often hear media reports that an unauthorized hacker has been able to access a computer database and to alter information stored there.

2013年考研真题（英语二）完形填空 Section Ⅰ

Prices did not alter significantly during 2004.

2004年期间，价格没有大的变化。

牛津词典

He had altered so much I scarcely recognized him.

他变得我几乎认不出来了。

牛津词典

It doesn't alter the way I feel.

这并没有改变我的感受。

牛津词典

Nothing can alter the fact that we are to blame.

错在我们，这是无法改变的事实。

牛津词典

The landscape has been radically altered, severely damaging wildlife.

地貌彻底改变，严重损害了野生动物。

牛津词典

Little had altered in the village...

村子里几乎没有什么变化。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

They have never altered their programmes by a single day.

他们一天也未变更过他们的节目。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

During meditation brain waves alter.

冥想时的脑波改变.

期刊摘选

A Book publisher may alter or abridge a work with the permission of the copyright owner.

图书出版者经版权拥有者许可,可以对作品修改或删节.

期刊摘选

Clear this box if you do not want the Code Editor to alter statements.

如果不希望代码编辑器改变语句,则清除此框.

期刊摘选

Processing and storage also may alter plant vitamin content.

加工和贮藏也会改变作物中维生素的含量.

辞典例句

That boy needs to alter his course, otherwise he will be fired.

那个男孩需要改变他的行为, 否则他将会被开除.

期刊摘选

You are not those since you those, but you can alter those!

因该你本人根本那是那样以为的, 但又无所不能改变这种状态.

期刊摘选

Or did this unbearable circumstance alter our and goal?

或是这个痛彻心扉的事件,会让我们改变荣耀上帝的初衷?

期刊摘选

How will you alter your word choice to increase your subscription rate?

您将如何改变你的话选择增加您的订阅率?

期刊摘选

Life is the garment we continually alter, but which never seems to fit.

生命是我们持续不断修改的衣服, 但它永远看起来不合身.

期刊摘选

The computer can alter the serials librarian and produce a bindery notice.

计算机可提醒管理连续出版物的馆员,并制作装订通知.

辞典例句

Also recognize the stressful situations that you cannot alter at this time.

与此同时,还要认识到有些压力是你眼下无法改变的.

期刊摘选

The effect of saturation is simply to alter the growth rate.

过饱和的效果不过是改变生长速度.

期刊摘选

Sophistry cannot alter history.

诡辩改变不了历史.

《现代汉英综合大词典》

She was about to alter the trimmings of the dress.

她打算改动这件女服的装饰.

《简明英汉词典》

She is trying to alter the coat.

她正设法改那件衣服.

《简明英汉词典》

As times alter , men's affections change.

时过境迁.

《简明英汉词典》

We have to alter the house into a barn.

我们不得不把房子改建成谷仓.

《简明英汉词典》

In doing translation, one should not alter the meaning of the original to suit one's own taste.

翻译时不应根据自己的好恶改变原文的意思.

《现代汉英综合大词典》

Prices did not alter significantly during 2004.

2004年期间，价格没有大的变化。

《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》

Superman's alter ego was Clark Kent.

超人的第二自我是克拉克∙肯特。

《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》