4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Alt  \Alt\,  a.  &  n.  [See  {Alto}.]  (Mus.) 
  The  higher  part  of  the  scale.  See  {Alto}. 
 
  {To  be  in  alt},  to  be  in  an  exalted  state  of  mind. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  ALT 
  n  :  angular  distance  above  the  horizon  (especially  of  a 
  celestial  object)  [syn:  {elevation},  {EL},  {altitude},  {ALT}] 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  alt  /awlt/  1.  n.  The  alt  shift  key  on  an  IBM  PC  or  {clone} 
  keyboard;  see  {bucky  bits},  sense  2  (though  typical  PC  usage  does  not 
  simply  set  the  0200  bit).  2.  n.  The  `option'  key  on  a  Macintosh;  use  of 
  this  term  usually  reveals  that  the  speaker  hacked  PCs  before  coming  to 
  the  Mac  (see  also  {feature  key},  which  is  sometimes  _incorrectly_  called 
  `alt').  3.  n.,obs.  [PDP-10;  often  capitalized  to  ALT]  Alternate  name 
  for  the  ASCII  ESC  character  (ASCII  0011011),  after  the  keycap  labeling 
  on  some  older  terminals;  also  `altmode'  (/awlt'mohd/).  This  character 
  was  almost  never  pronounced  `escape'  on  an  ITS  system,  in  {TECO}, 
  or  under  TOPS-10  --  always  alt,  as  in  "Type  alt  alt  to  end  a  TECO 
  command"  or  "alt-U  onto  the  system"  (for  "log  onto  the  [ITS]  system"). 
  This  usage  probably  arose  because  alt  is  more  convenient  to  say  than 
  `escape',  especially  when  followed  by  another  alt  or  a  character  (or 
  another  alt  _and_  a  character,  for  that  matter).  4.  The  alt  hierarchy 
  on  Usenet,  the  tree  of  newsgroups  created  by  users  without  a  formal  vote 
  and  approval  procedure.  There  is  a  myth,  not  entirely  implausible, 
  that  alt  is  acronymic  for  "anarchists,  lunatics,  and  terrorists";  but 
  in  fact  it  is  simply  short  for  "alternative". 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  alt 
 
    /awlt/  1.  The  alt  {modifier  key}  on  many 
  {keyboards},  including  the  {IBM  PC}.  On  some  keyboards  and 
  {operating  systems},  (but  not  the  IBM  PC)  the  alt  key  sets  bit 
  7  of  the  character  generated. 
 
  See  {bucky  bits}. 
 
  2.  The  "{clover}"  or  Command"  key  on  a  {Macintosh};  use  of 
  this  term  usually  reveals  that  the  speaker  hacked  PCs  before 
  coming  to  the  Mac  (see  also  {feature  key}).  Some  Mac  hackers, 
  confusingly,  reserve  alt"  for  the  Option  key  (and  it  is  so 
  labelled  on  some  Mac  II  keyboards). 
 
  3.  (Obsolete  {PDP-10};  often  "ALT")  An  alternate  name  for  the 
  {ASCII}  ESC  character  (Escape,  ASCII  27),  after  the  keycap 
  labelling  on  some  older  {terminals};  also  altmode" 
  (/awlt'mohd/).  This  character  was  almost  never  pronounced 
  escape"  on  an  {ITS}  system,  in  {TECO}  or  under  {TOPS-10}, 
  always  alt,  as  in  "Type  alt  alt  to  end  a  TECO  command"  or 
  "alt-U  onto  the  system"  (for  "log  onto  the  [ITS]  system"). 
  This  usage  probably  arose  because  alt  is  easier  to  say 
 
  4.    One  of  the  {Usenet}  {newsgroup}  {hierarchies}. 
  It  was  founded  by  {John  Gilmore}  and  {Brian  Reid}.  The  alt 
  hierarchy  is  special  in  that  anyone  can  create  new  groups  here 
  without  going  though  the  normal  voting  proceduers  hence  the 
  regular  appearence  of  new  groups  with  names  such  as 
  "alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork". 
 
  [{Jargon  File}] 
 
  (1997-04-12) 
 
 

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