Once

• POS: Conjunction, Noun, Adverb

CIDE DICTIONARY

Once, n. 

 The ounce.  [1913 Webster]

Once, adv. [OE. ones, anes, an adverbial form fr. one, on, an, one. See One-, -Wards.].

•  For one time; by limitation to the number one; not twice nor any number of times more than one.  [1913 Webster]

  "Ye shall . . . go round about the city once."  [1913 Webster]

  "Trees that bear mast are fruitful but once in two years."  [1913 Webster]
•  At some one period of time; -- used indefinitely.  [1913 Webster]

  "My soul had once some foolish fondness for thee."  [1913 Webster]

  "That court which we shall once govern."  [1913 Webster]
•  At any one time; -- often nearly equivalent to ever, if ever, or whenever; as, once kindled, it may not be quenched.  [1913 Webster]

  " Once is used as a noun when preceded by this or that; as, this once, that once. It is also sometimes used elliptically, like an adjective, for once-existing. “The once province of Britain.” J. N. Pomeroy."  [1913 Webster]

  "Wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be?"  [1913 Webster]

  "To be once in doubt
  Is once to be resolved."  [1913 Webster]

At once. (a) At the same point of time; immediately; without delay. “Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once.” Shak. “I . . . withdrew at once and altogether.” Jeffrey. (b) At one and the same time; simultaneously; in one body; as, they all moved at once. -- Once and again, once and once more; repeatedly. “A dove sent forth once and again, to spy.” Milton.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Once, adv., conj., & n.
--adv.
1 on one occasion or for one time only (did not once say please; have read it once).
2 at some point or period in the past (could once play chess).
3 ever or at all (if you once forget it).
4 multiplied by one; by one degree.
--conj. as soon as (once they have gone we can relax).
--n. one time or occasion (just the once).

Idiom

all at once 1 without warning; suddenly.
2 all together. at once 1 immediately.
2 simultaneously. for once on this (or that) occasion, even if at no other. once again (or more) another time. once and for all (or once for all) (done) in a final or conclusive manner, esp. so as to end hesitation or uncertainty. once (or every once) in a while from time to time; occasionally. once or twice a few times. once-over colloq. a rapid preliminary inspection or piece of work. once upon a time at some vague time in the past.

Etymology

ME anes, ones, genit. of ONE

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Once

adv. Enough.

THESAURUS

Once

alone, already, ancient, anytime, anyway, anywise, apart, at a stroke, at all, at any time, at intervals, at once, at one time, at times, at whatever time, before, by itself, bygone, conclusively, decidedly, definitely, directly, earlier, early, erstwhile, finally, for good, fore, former, formerly, heretofore, if ever, immediately, immemorial, in a jiffy, in a trice, in a wink, in the singular, individually, instantly, just this once, late, long ago, no matter when, now and again, occasionally, old, olden, on one occasion, once for all, one by one, one day, one fine morning, one time, onetime, only once, particularly, past, per se, periodically, positively, prehistoric, previous, previously, primeval, primitive, prior, promptly, quondam, recent, right away, separately, severally, simultaneously, single-handedly, singly, singularly, some time ago, sometime, sometimes, sporadically, then, time was, together, whenever, whensoever, whilom, without delay

ROGET THESAURUS

Once

Time

N time, duration, period, term, stage, space, span, spell, season, the whole time, the whole period, space-time, course, snap, intermediate time, while, interim, interval, pendency, intervention, intermission, intermittence, interregnum, interlude, respite, era, epoch, time of life, age, year, date, decade, moment, glass of time, sands of time, march of time, Father Time, ravages of time, arrow of time, river of time, whirligig of time, noiseless foot of time, scythe, continuing, on foot, permanent, while, whilst, during, pending, during the time, during the interval, in the course of, at that point, at that point in time, for the time being, day by day, in the time of, when, meantime, meanwhile, in the meantime, in the interim, ad interim, pendente lite, de die in diem, from day to day, from hour to hour, hourly, always, for a time, for a season, till, until, up to, yet, as far as, by that time, so far, hereunto, heretofore, prior to this, up to this point, the whole time, all the time, all along, throughout, for good, hereupon, thereupon, whereupon, then, anno Domini, A, D, ante Christum, A, C, before Christ, B, C, anno urbis conditae, A, U, C, anno regni, A, R, once upon a time, one fine morning, one fine day, one day, once, time flies, tempus fugit, time runs out, time runs against, race against time, racing the clock, time marches on, time is of the essence, time and tide wait for no man, ad calendas Groecas, panting Time toileth after him in vain, 'gainst the tooth of time and razure of oblivion, rich with the spoils of time, tempus edax rerum, the long hours come and go, the time is out of joint, Time rolls his ceaseless course, Time the foe of man's dominion, time wasted is existence, used is life, truditur dies die, volat hora per orbem, carpe diem.

The Past

N the past, past time, days of yore, times of yore, days of old, times of old, days past, times past, days gone by, times gone by, bygone days, old times, ancient times, former times, fore time, the good old days, the olden time, good old time, auld lang syne, eld, antiquity, antiqueness, status quo, time immemorial, distance of time, remote age, remote time, remote past, rust of antiquity, paleontology, paleography, paleology, paleozoology, palaetiology, archaeology, paleogeography, paleoecology, paleobotany, paleoclimatoogy, archaism, antiquarianism, medievalism, Pre-Raphaelitism, paleography, retrospect, retrospection, looking back, memory, laudator temporis acti, medievalist, Pre-Raphaelite, antiquary, antiquarian, archmologist, Oldbuck, Dryasdust, ancestry, past, gone, gone by, over, passed away, bygone, foregone, elapsed, lapsed, preterlapsed, expired, no more, run out, blown over, has-been, that has been, extinct, antediluvian, antebellum, never to return, gone with the wind, exploded, forgotten, irrecoverable, obsolete, former, pristine, quondam, ci-devant, late, ancestral, foregoing, last, latter, recent, over night, preterperfect, preterpluperfect, looking back, retrospective, retroactive, archaeological, paleo-, archaeo-, formerly, of old, of yore, erst, whilom, erewhile, time was, ago, over, in the olden time, anciently, long ago, long since, a long while, a long time ago, years ago, yesteryear, ages ago, some time ago, some time since, some time back, yesterday, the day before yesterday, last year, ultimo, lately, retrospectively, ere now, before now, till now, hitherto, heretofore, no longer, once, once upon a time, from time immemorial, from prehistoric times, in the memory of man, time out of mind, already, yet, up to this time, ex post facto, time was, the time has been, the time hath been, you can't go home again, fuimus Troes, fruit Ilium, hoc erat in more majorum, O call back yesterday, bid time return, tempi passati, the eternal landscape of the past, ultimus Romanorum, what's past is prologue, whose yesterdays look backward with a smile, Time with reference to a particular period.

Infrequency

N infrequency, rareness, rarity, fewness, seldomness, uncommonness, unfrequent, infrequent, rare, rare as a blue diamond, few, scarce, almost unheard of, unprecedented, which has not occurred within the memory of the ol, not within one's previous experience, not since Adam, scarce as hen's teeth, one in a million, few and far between, seldom, rarely, scarcely, hardly, not often, not much, infrequently, unfrequently, unoften, scarcely, scarcely ever, hardly ever, once in a blue moon, once, once in a blue moon, once in a million years, once for all, once in a way, pro hac vice, ein mal kein mal.