Plural of alterant; multiple things that cause or produce alteration.
Standard English plural of alterant, formed by adding -s to the singular noun. Maintains the Latin root alterare with medicinal/alchemical connotations in historical usage.
Alchemists and herbalists filled entire books cataloging 'alterants'—substances that could supposedly transform matter or heal disease by altering fundamental properties. This classification system was seriously taken until chemistry actually explained what elements do!
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