High musical tone; Music, (note) in first octave above the treble stave.

ETYM Italian alto high, from Latin altus. Related to Alt.
1. A singer whose voice lies in the alto clef.
2. The pitch range of the lowest female voice.
Voice or instrument between tenor and soprano, of approximate range G3–D5. The traditional male alto voice of early opera, also known as countertenor, is trumpetlike and penetrating; the low-register female contralto (“contra-alto”), exemplified by English singer Kathleen Ferrier, is rich and mellow in tone. Alto is also the French name for the viola.

Alpha Aquilae; Brightest star in the constellation Aquila and the 12th brightest star in the sky. It is a white star 16 light-years away and forms the so-called Summer Triangle with the stars Deneb (in the constellation Cygnus) and Vega (in Lyra).

1. A group of related languages spoken in Asia and southeastern Europe; Also called: Altaic language.
2. Any member of the peoples speaking a language in the Altaic language group.

ETYM Cf. French altération.
The act of making something different (as e.g. the size of a garment); SYN. modification, adjustment.

(Homonym: altar).
1. To make an alteration to.
2. Said of animals: spay, neuter.

ETYM Cf. French alternative, Late Lat. alternativa.
1. An offer of two things, one of which may be chosen, but not both; a choice between two things, so that if one is taken, the other must be left.
2. Either of two things or propositions offered to one's choice; thus when two things offer a choice of one only, the two things are called alternatives.
3. The course of action or the thing offered in place of another.
4. A choice between more than two things; one of several things offered to choose among.

ETYM Old Eng. chois, Old Fren. chois, French choix, from choisir to choose; of German origin; cf. Goth. kausjan to examine, kiusan to choose, examine, German kiesen. Related to Choose.
1. The act of choosing or selecting; SYN. selection, pick.
2. The person or thing chosen or selected; SYN. pick, selection.
In economics, decision about how resources are allocated. Each choice involves an opportunity cost.

ETYM Cf. French alternatif.
1. Necessitating a choice between mutually exclusive possibilities; SYN. mutually exclusive.
2. Pertaining to unconventional choices.

Forms of medical treatment that do not use synthetic drugs or surgery in response to the symptoms of a disease, but aim to treat the patient as a whole (holism). The emphasis is on maintaining health (with diet and exercise) and on dealing with the underlying causes rather than just the symptoms of illness. It may involve the use of herbal remedies and techniques like acupuncture, homeopathy, and chiropractic. Some alternative treatments are increasingly accepted by orthodox medicine, but the absence of enforceable standards in some fields has led to the proliferation of eccentric or untrained practitioners.
The practice of medicine without the use of drugs; may involve self-awareness; SYN. complementary medicine.
See medicine, alternative.