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The act of altering or making different. Alteration, though it be from worse to better, hath in it incoveniences. Hooker.

Not yet fixed legally, or settled past alteration; alterable; as, the dispositions of a will are ambulatory until the death of the testator.

An alteration or change for the better; correction of a fault or of faults; reformation of life by quitting vices.

Incombustible; capable of sustaining a strong heat without alteration of form or properties.

in -ate; as, alliterate -ation, narrate -ation; many are derived through the French; as, alteration, visitation; and many are formed on verbs ending in the Greek formative -ize (Fr. -ise); as, civilization, demoralization.

An amorphous antimonate of lead, produced from the alteration of other ores, as from jamesonite.

Any variation or alteration; a passing from one state or form to another; as, a change of countenance; a change of habits or principles. Apprehensions of a change of dynasty. Hallam. All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Job xiv. 14.

Capable of change; subject to alteration; mutable; variable; fickle; inconstant; as, a changeable humor.

of the composition of substances, and of the changes which they undergo in consequence of alterations in the constitution of the molecules, which depend upon variations of the number, kind, or mode of arrangement, of the constituent atoms. These atoms are not assumed to be indivisible, but merely the finest grade of su…

A passing from one state to another; change; alteration; mutation. [R.] So great is the commutation that the soul then hated only that which now only it loves. South.

To debase or render impure by alterations or innovations; to falsify; as, to corrupt language; to corrupt the sacred text. He that makes an ill use of it [language], though he does not corrupt the fountains of knowledge, . . . yet he stops the pines. Locke.

A change of measures; alteration of conduct. Such countermarches and retractions as we do not willingly impute to wisdom. T. Burnet.

on into constituent part; analysis; the decay or dissolution consequent on the removal or alteration of some of the ingredients of a compound; disintegration; as, the decomposition of wood, rocks, etc.

An alteration of, or subtraction from, a contract for a sale of stocks.

The act of discoloring, or the state of being discolored; alteration of hue or appearance. Darwin.

An alteration in the state of the body or of some of its organs, interrupting or disturbing the performance of the vital functions, and causing or threatening pain and weakness; malady; affection; illness; sickness; disorder; -- applied figuratively to the mind, to the moral character and habits, to institutions, the s…

Alteration by editorial criticism, as of a text so as to give a better reading; removal of errors or corruptions from a document; as, the book might be improved by judicious emendations.

of being false; coutrariety or want of conformity to truth. Probability does not make any alteration, either in the truth or falsity of things. South.

ing a writing or signature purporting to be made by another; the false making or material alteration of or addition to a written instrument for the purpose of deceit and fraud; as, the forgery of a bond. Bouvier.

A quantity so connected with another quantity, that if any alteration be made in the latter there will be a consequent alteration in the former. Each quantity is said to be a function of the other. Thus, the circumference of a circle is a function of the diameter. If x be a symbol to which different numerical values ca…