At

• POS: Noun, Preposition

CIDE DICTIONARY

At, prep. [AS. æt; akin to OHG. az, Goth., OS., & Icel. at, Sw. åt, Dan. & L. ad.].

•  Primarily, this word expresses the relations of presence, nearness in place or time, or direction toward; as, at the ninth hour; at the house; to aim at a mark. It is less definite than in or on; at the house may be in or near the house. From this original import are derived all the various uses of at.  [1913 Webster]
•  A relation of proximity to, or of presence in or on, something; as, at the door; at your shop; at home; at school; at hand; at sea and on land.  [1913 Webster]
•  The relation of some state or condition; as, at war; at peace; at ease; at your service; at fault; at liberty; at risk; at disadvantage.  [1913 Webster]
•  The relation of some employment or action; occupied with; as, at engraving; at husbandry; at play; at work; at meat (eating); except at puns.  [1913 Webster]
•  The relation of a point or position in a series, or of degree, rate, or value; as, with the thermometer at 80at a cheap price; a country estimated at 10,000 square miles; life is short at the longest.  [1913 Webster]
•  The relations of time, age, or order; as, at ten o'clock; at twenty-one; at once; at first.  [1913 Webster]
•  The relations of source, occasion, reason, consequence, or effect; as, at the sight; at this news; merry at anything; at this declaration; at his command; to demand, require, receive, deserve, endure at your hands.  [1913 Webster]
•  Relation of direction toward an object or end; as, look at it; to point at one; to aim at a mark; to throw, strike, shoot, wink, mock, laugh at any one.  [1913 Webster]

At all, At home, At large, At last, At length, At once, etc. See under All, Home, Large, Last (phrase and syn.), Length, Once, etc. -- At it, busily or actively engaged. -- At least. See Least and However. -- At one. See At one, in the Vocabulary.

Syn. -- In, At.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

At, symb. Chem. the element astatine.

At, unstressed prep.
1 expressing position, exact or approximate (wait at the corner; at the top of the hill; met at Bath; is at school; at a distance).
2 expressing a point in time (see you at three; went at dawn).
3 expressing a point in a scale or range (at boiling-point; at his best).
4 expressing engagement or concern in a state or activity (at war; at work; at odds).
5 expressing a value or rate (sell at {pound}10 each).
6 a with or with reference to; in terms of (at a disadvantage; annoyed at losing; good at cricket; play at fighting; sick at heart; came at a run; at short notice; work at it). b by means of (starts at a touch; drank it at a gulp).
7 expressing: a motion towards (arrived at the station; went at them). b aim towards or pursuit of (physically or conceptually) (aim at the target; work at a solution; guess at the truth; laughed at us; has been at the milk again).

Idiom

at all see ALL. at hand see HAND. at home see HOME. at it
1 engaged in an activity; working hard.
2 colloq. repeating a habitual (usu. disapproved of) activity (found them at it again). at once see ONCE. at that moreover (found one, and a good one at that). at times see TIME. where it's at sl. the fashionable scene or activity.

Etymology

OE {aelig}t, rel. to L ad to

ROGET THESAURUS

At

Sociality

N sociality, sociability, sociableness, social intercourse, consociation, intercourse, intercommunity, consortship, companionship, comradeship, clubbism, esprit de corps, conviviality, good fellowship, good company, joviality, jollity, savoir vivre, festivity, festive board, merrymaking, loving cup, hospitality, heartiness, cheer, welcome, welcomeness, greeting, hearty welcome, hearty reception, warm reception, urbanity, familiarity, good fellow, jolly fellow, bon enfant, bawcock, social circle, family circle, circle of acquaintance, coterie, society, company, social gathering, social reunion, assembly, barbecue, bee, corn-husking, corn-shucking, house raising, barn raising, husking, husking-bee, infare, party, entertainment, reception, levee, at, home, conversazione, soiree, matin_ee, evening party, morning party, afternoon party, bridge party, garden party, surprise party, kettle, kettle drum, partie carr_ee, dish of tea, ridotto, rout, housewarming, ball, festival, smoker, smoker-party, sociable, stag party, hen party, tamasha, tea-party, tea-fight, (amusement), the feast of reason and the flow of soul, birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve party, Thanksgiving Day Dinner, bonenkai, wedding reception, visiting, round of visits, call, morning call, interview, assignation, tryst, trysting place, appointment, club, sociable, companionable, clubbable, conversable, cosy, cosey, chatty, conversational, homiletical, convivial, festive, festal, jovial, jolly, hospitable, welcome, welcome as the roses in May, f=eted, entertained, free and easy, hall fellow well met, familiar, on visiting terms, acquainted, social, neighborly, international, gregarious, en famille, in the family circle, sans fa, arm in arm, a crowd is not company, be bright and jovial among your guests tonight, his worth is warrant for his welcome, let's be red with mirth, welcome the coming speed the parting guest.