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[at one time]{adv. phr.} 1. In the same moment; together. •/Let’s start the dance again all at one time./ •/Mr. Reed’s bills came all at one time and he could not pay them./ Syn.: AT THE SAME TIME(1). 2. At a certain time in the past; years ago. •/At one time people thought that Minnesota was not a good place to live./ •/At one time most school teachers were men, but today there are more women than men./

[at pains]{adj. phr.} Making a special effort. •/At pains to make a good impression, she was prompt for her appointment./

[at present]{adv. phr.} At this time; now. •/It took a long time to get started, but at present the road is half finished./ •/At present the house is empty, but next week a family will move in./

[at random]{adv. phr.} With no order, plan, or purpose; in a mixed-up, or thoughtless way. •/He opened the letters at random./ •/His clothes were scattered about the room at random./

[at sea(1)]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. On an ocean voyage; on a journey by ship. •/They had first met at sea./ 2. Out on the ocean; away from land. •/By the second day the ship was well out at sea./ •/Charles had visited a ship in dock, but he had never been on a ship at sea./

[at sea(2)]{adj. phr.} Not knowing what to do; bewildered; confused; lost. •/The job was new to him, and for a few days he was at sea./ •/When his friends talked about chemistry, Don was at sea, because he did not study chemistry./ Compare: AT A LOSS.

[at sight] or [on sight] {adv. phr.} 1. The first time the person or thing is seen; as soon as the person or thing is seen. •/First graders learn to read many words on sight./ •/Mary had seen many pictures of Grandfather, so she knew him on sight./ Compare: AT ONCE(1). 2. On demand, on asking the first time. •/The money order was payable at sight./

[at sixes and sevens]{adj. phr.} Not in order; in confusion; in a mess. •/He apologized because his wife was away and the house was at sixes and sevens./ •/Our teacher had just moved to a new classroom, and she was still at sixes and sevens./ •/After the captain of the team broke his leg, the other players were at sixes and sevens./

[at --- stage of the game]{adv. phr.} At (some) time during an activity; at (some) point. •/At that stage of the game, our team was doing so poorly that we were ready to give up./ •/It’s hard to know what will happen at this stage of the game./ •/At what stage of the game did the man leave?/

[at stake]{adj. phr.} Depending, like a bet, on the outcome of something uncertain; in a position to be lost or gained. •/The team played hard because the championship of the state was at stake./ •/The farmers were more anxious for rain than the people in the city because they had more at stake./ Compare: HANG IN THE BALANCE.

[at straws] See: GRASP AT STRAWS.

[at swords' points]{adj. phr.} Ready to start fighting; very much opposed to each; other hostile; quarreling. •/The dog’s barking kept the Browns at swords' points with their neighbors for months./ •/The mayor and the reporter were always at swords' points./

[at table] See: AT THE TABLE; WAIT AT TABLE.

[at that]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. As it is; at that point; without more talk or waiting. •/Ted was not quite satisfied with his haircut but let it go at that./ 2. In addition; also. •/Bill’s seat mate on the plane was a girl and a pretty one at that./ 3. After all; in spite of all; anyway. •/The book was hard to understand, but at that Jack enjoyed it./ Syn.: ALL THE SAME.

[at the best] See: AT BEST.

[at the bit] See: CHAMP AT THE BIT.

[at the drop of a hat]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. Without waiting; immediately; promptly. •/If you need a babysitter quickly, call Mary, because she can come at the drop of a hat./ Compare: ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT. 2. Whenever you have a chance; with very little cause or urging. •/At the drop of a hat, he would tell the story of the canal he wanted to build./ •/He was quarrelsome and ready to fight at the drop of a hat./

[at the eleventh hour]{prep. phr.} At the last possible time. •/Aunt Mathilda got married at the eleventh hour; after all, she was already 49 years old./

[at the end of one’s rope] See: END OF ONE’S ROPE.

[at the kill] See: IN AT THE KILL.

[at the least] See: AT LEAST.

[at the mercy of] or [at one’s mercy] {adj. phr.} In the power of; subject to the will and wishes of; without defense against. •/The champion had the other boxer at his mercy./ •/The picnic was at the mercy of the weather./ •/The small grocer was at the mercy of people he owed money to./

[at the most] See: AT MOST.

[at the outset]{adv. phr.} At the start; at the beginning. •/"You’ll live in the cheaper barracks at the outset; later you can move into the better cabins," the camp director said to the new boys./

[at the outside]{adv. phr.} Maximally; at the utmost. •/This old house can cost no more than $40,000 at the outside./

[at the point of]{prep.} Very near to; almost at or in. •/When Mary broke her favorite bracelet, she was at the point of tears./ •/The boy hurt in the accident lay at the point of death for a week, then he got well./ Compare: ABOUT TO(1), ON THE POINT OF.

[at the ready]{adj. phr.} Ready for use. •/The sailor stood at the bow, harpoon at the ready, as the boat neared the whale./

[at the same time]{adv. phr.} 1. In the same moment; together. •/The two runners reached the finish line at the same time./ Syn.: AT ONCE, AT ONE TIME. 2. In spite of that fact; even though; however; but; nevertheless. •/John did pass the test; at the same time, he didn’t know the subject very well./

[at the seams] See: BURST AT THE SEAMS.

[at the table] or [at table] {adv. phr.} At a meal; at the dinner table. •/The telephone call came while they were all at table./

[at the tip of one’s tongue] or [on the tip of one’s tongue] {adv. phr.} {informal} 1. Almost spoken; at the point of being said. •/It was at the tip of my tongue to tell him, when the phone rang./ •/John had a rude answer on the tip of his tongue, but he remembered his manners just in time./ 2. Almost remembered; at the point where one can almost say it but cannot because it is forgotten. •/I have his name on the tip of my tongue./

[at the top of one’s voice] or [at the top of one’s lungs] {adv. phr.} As loud as you can; with the greatest possible sound; very loudly. •/He was singing at the top of his voice./ •/He shouted at the top of his lungs./

[at this rate] or [at that rate] {adv. phr.} At a speed like this or that; with progress like this or that. •/John’s father said that if John kept going at that rate he would never finish cutting the grass./ •/So Johnny has a whole dollar! At this rate he’ll be a millionaire./ •/"Three 100’s in the last four tests! At this rate you’ll soon be teaching the subject," Tom said to Mary./

[at times]{adv. phr.} Not often; not regularly; not every day; not every week; occasionally; sometimes. •/At times Tom’s mother lets him hold the baby./ •/You can certainly be exasperating, at times!/ •/We have pie for dinner at times./ Syn.: FROM TIME TO TIME, NOW AND THEN, ONCE IN A WHILE.

[at will]{adv. phr.} As you like; as you please or choose freely. •/Little Bobby is allowed to wander at will in the neighborhood./ •/With an air conditioner you can enjoy comfortable temperatures at will./

[at wits end] See: AT ONE’S WIT’S END.

[at work]{adj. phr.} Busy at a job; doing work. •/The teacher was soon hard at work correcting that day’s test./ •/Jim is at work on his car./

[at worst] or [at the worst] {adv. phr.} 1. Under the worst conditions; as the worst possibility. •/When Don was caught cheating in the examination he thought that at worst he would get a scolding./ Compare: AT MOST. Contrast AT BEST. 2. In the least favorable view, to say the worst about a thing. •/The treasurer had certainly not stolen any of the club’s money; at worst, he had forgotten to write down some of the things he had spent money for./

[aught] See: FOR AUGHT at FOR ALL(2), FOR ALL ONE KNOWS.

[Aunt Tom]{n.}, {slang}, {originally from Black English} A successful professional or business woman who, due to her success in a masculine profession, doesn’t care about the women’s liberation movement or the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. •/Hermione is a regular Aunt Tom, she’ll never vote for the ERA./

[avail] See: TO NO AVAIL or OF NO AVAIL.

[average] See: ON AN AVERAGE or ON THE AVERAGE, LAW OF AVERAGES.

[awe] See: STAND IN AWE OF.

[awkward age]{n.} Adolescence; awkwardness during adolescence. •/Sue used to be an "ugly duckling" when she was at the awkward age, but today she is a glamorous fashion model./

[AWOL] See: ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE.

[ax to grind]{n. phr.}, {informal} Something to gain for yourself: a selfish reason. •/In praising movies for classroom use he has an ax to grind; he sells motion picture equipment./ •/When Charles told the teacher he saw Arthur copying his homework from Jim, he had an ax to grind; Arthur would not let Charles copy from him./

[babe in the woods]{n. phr.} A person who is inexperienced or innocent in certain things. •/He is a good driver, but as a mechanic he is just a babe in the woods./ Compare: OVER ONE’S HEAD, BEYOND ONE’S DEPTH.

[baby] See: WAR BABY.

[baby boom]{n.} A sudden increase in the birth rate. •/The universities were filled to capacity due to the baby boom that followed World War II./

[baby grand]{n.} A small grand piano no longer than three feet, maximally four feet. •/This apartment can’t take a regular grand piano, so we’ll have to buy a baby grand./

[baby kisser]{n.}, {slang} A person campaigning for votes in his quest for elected political office; such persons often kiss little children in public. •/Nixon was a baby kisser when he ran for Vice President with Eisenhower./

[back] See: BACK OF or IN BACK OF, BEHIND ONE’S BACK, BRUSH BACK, COME BACK, CUT BACK, DOUBLE BACK, DRAW BACK, DROP BACK. EYES IN THE BACK OF ONE’S HEAD, FADE BACK, FALL BACK, FALL BACK ON, FLANKER BACK. FROM WAY BACK, GET BACK AT, GET ONE’S BACK UP, GIVE THE SHIRT OFF ONE’S BACK, GO BACK ON, HANG BACK, HARK BACK, HOLD BACK, LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK’S BACK, LOOK BACK, OFF ONE’S BACK, ON ONE’S BACK, PAT ON THE BACK, PIGGY-BACK, PIN ONE’S EARS BACK, PUT BACK THE CLOCK or TURN BACK THE CLOCK, PUT ONE’S BACK TO IT, SCRATCH ONE’S BACK, SET BACK, SET BACK ON ONE’S HEELS, SIT BACK, STAB IN THE BACK, TAKE A BACK SEAT, TAKE BACK, TALK BACK also ANSWER BACK, TURN ONE’S BACK ON, WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON ONE’S SHOULDERS or WORLD ON ONE’S BACK, WHILE BACK.

[back and forth]{adv.} Backwards and forwards. •/The chair is rocking hack and forth./ •/The tiger is pacing hack and forth in his cage./ Compare: TO AND FRO.

[back away]{v.} To act to avoid or lessen one’s involvement in something; draw or turn back; retreat. * The townspeople backed away from the building plan when they found out how much it would cost.

[back door]{n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Rear of vehicle. •/I am watching your back door./

[back down] or [back off] {v.}, {informal} To give up a claim; not follow up a threat. •/Bill said he could beat Ted, but when Ted put up his fists Bill backed down./ •/Harry claimed Joe had taken his book, but backed down when the teacher talked with him./ Syn.: BEAT A RETREAT. Compare: BACK OUT, GIVE IN, GO BACK ON(1).

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