altering

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Related to altering: alternating

al·ter

(ôl′tər)

v. al·tered, al·ter·ing, al·ters

v.tr.

1. To change or make different; modify: altered my will.

2. To adjust (a garment) for a better fit.

3. To castrate or spay (an animal, such as a cat or a dog).

v.intr.

To change or become different.

[Middle English alteren, from Old French alterer, from Medieval Latin alterāre, from Latin alter, other; see al- in Indo-European roots.]

al′ter·a·bil′i·ty, al′ter·a·ble·ness n.

al′ter·a·ble adj.

al′ter·a·bly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Noun

altering - the sterilization of an animal; "they took him to the vet for neutering"

neutering, fixing

sterilisation, sterilization - the act of making an organism barren or infertile (unable to reproduce)

castration, emasculation - neutering a male animal by removing the testicles

spaying - neutering a female by removing the ovaries

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References in classic literature ?

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

View in context

Frederica was no more altered than Lady Susan; the same restrained manners, the same timid look in the presence of her mother as heretofore, assured her aunt of her situation being uncomfortable, and confirmed her in the plan of altering it.

View in context

Six university staff, including the dean, yesterday claimed at the High Criminal Court that they never "heard" the defendants talk about altering exam results.

'Grades for cash' trial in final stage

The identification of the effects of this gene in alfalfa provide a mechanism for altering flavonoid, anthocyanin and condensed tannin production in forage legumes and allows one to alter such levels to produce a variety of benefits in the field of agriculture, animal farming and food technology in general.

Agriculture and Agri - Food Canada obtains United States patent

Slicing into the pages of a hardbound book with an X-acto knife might sound like a clear case of heresy to a book lover, but in fact, many of those who practice the art of book altering are bibliophiles to the core, says Lee Kirk, a Eugene book dealer who, in her free time, gives new life to aging books.

Literary art

They suggested altering the face to make it less Caucasian.

Representing their country

Music and altered States is a culturally rich and diverse book that examines aspects of music's role in altering consciousness from Africa to Europe, from the US to the Middle East.

Aldridge, D. & Fachner, J. (Eds.). (2006). Music and altered states: Consciousness, transcendence, therapy and addictions

Returning her to herself in altered form--and altering her consciousness of herself--the sculpture seems peculiarly empathic, or at least less forbidding.

Anish Kapoor: Barbara Gladstone Gallery

First, the company's settlement agreement of a 1997 lawsuit brought by Sun that prohibits Redmond for altering the core Java code.

Microsoft will abandon Java in 2004. (First in/First out: Stub Files)

FIVE NURSES AT A LONG ISLAND NURSING home were recently accused of altering medical records to hide flagrant mistakes, according to a report in the Daily News.

5 N.Y. nurses charged with cover-up, abuse

Tsien's research also raises ethical questions about tampering with nature's genes: If better memory and learning can be perfected in humans, should healthy people turn to genetic engineering (altering genes) to boost intelligence?