[at great length] <prep. phr.> 1. In great detail. * /Jim told us the story of his life at great length./ 2. For a long time. * /The boring speaker rambled on at great length./

[at half mast] <prep. phr.> Halfway up or down; referring primarily to flagposts, but may be used jokingly. * /When a president of the United States dies, all flags are flown at half mast./

[at hand] also [at close hand] or [near at hand] <adv. phr.> 1. Easy to reach; nearby. * /When he writes, he always keeps a dictionary at hand./ 2. <formal> Coming soon; almost here. * /Examinations are past and Commencement Day is at hand./

[at heart] <adv. phr.> 1. In spite of appearances; at bottom; in reality. * /His manners are rough but he is a kind man at heart./ 2. As a serious interest or concern; as an important aim or goal. * /He has the welfare of the poor at heart./

[at home] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. In the place where you live or come from. * * /I went to his house, but he was not at home./ * /Americans abroad are protected by the government like Americans at home./ 2. Knowing what to do or say; familiar; comfortable. * /Charles and John enjoy working together because they feel at home with each other./ * /The politician was at home among poor farmers and among rich factory owners./ * /Make the new student feel at home in your school./ * /Would you be at home driving a truck?/ * /Jim always lived by a lake, and he is at home in the water./ * /Tom has read many books about missiles and is at home in that subject./ Syn.: AT EASE(2). Compare: IN ONE'S ELEMENT, MAKE ONESELF AT HOME. Contrast: AT A LOSS.

[at issue] <adj. phr.> 1. In dispute; to be settled by debate, by vote, by battle, or by some other contest. * /His good name was at issue in the trial./ * /The independence of the United States from England was at issue in the Revolutionary War./ Compare: IN QUESTION. 2. Not in agreement; in conflict; opposing. * /His work as a doctor was at issue with other doctors' practice./ Syn.: AT ODDS.

[at it] <adj. phr.> Busily doing something; active. * /His rule for success was to keep always at it./ * /The couple who owned the little cleaning shop were at it early and late./ * /Mr. Curtis heard a loud crash in the next apartment - the neighbors were at it again./

[at large] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Not kept within walls, fences, or boundaries; free. * /The killer remained at large for weeks./ Compare: AT LIBERTY. * /Cattle and sheep roamed at large on the big ranch./ 2. In a broad, general way; at length; fully. * /The superintendent talked at large for an hour about his hopes for a new school building./ 3. As a group rather than as individuals; as a whole; taken together. * /The junior class at large was not interested in a senior yearbook./ 4. As a representative of a whole political unit or area rather than one of its parts; from a city rather than one of its wards, or a state rather than one of its districts. * /He was elected congressman at large./ * /Aldermen are voted for at large./

[at last] also [at long last] <adv. phr.> After a long time; finally. * /The war had been long and hard, but now there was peace at last./ * /The boy saved his money until at last he had enough for a bicycle./

[at least] <adv. phr.> 1. or [at the least] At the smallest guess; no fewer than; no less than. * /You should brush your teeth at least twice a day./ * /At least three students are failing in mathematics./ * /Mr. Johnson must weigh 200 pounds at least./ Compare: ALL OF. 2. Whatever else you may say; anyhow; anyway. * /It was a clumsy move, but at least it saved her from getting hit./ * /She broke her arm, but at least it wasn't the arm she writes with./ * /The Mortons had fun at their picnic yesterday - at least the children did - they played while their parents cooked the food./ * /He's not coming - at least that's what he said./ Compare: AT ANY RATE.

[at leisure] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> 1. Not at work; not busy; with free time; at rest. * /Come and visit us some evening when you're at leisure./ 2. or [at one's leisure] When and how you wish at your convenience; without hurry. * /John made the model plane at his leisure./ * /You may read the book at your leisure./

[at length] <adv. phr.> 1. In detail; fully. * /You must study the subject at length to understand it./ * /The teacher explained the new lesson at length to the students./ 2. In the end; at last; finally. * /The movie became more and more exciting, until at length people were sitting on the edge of their chairs./

[at liberty] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> Free to go somewhere or do something; not shut in or stopped. * /The police promised to set the man at liberty if he told the names of the other robbers./ * /I am sorry, but I am not at liberty to come to your party./ Compare: AT LARGE(1).

[at loggerheads] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> In a quarrel; in a fight; opposing each other. * /The two senators had long been at loggerheads on foreign aid./ * /Because of their barking dog, the Morrises lived at loggerheads with their neighbors./ Compare: AT ODDS.

[at long last] See: AT LAST.

[at loose ends] <adj. phr.> Without a regular job or settled habits; uncertain what to do next; having nothing to do for a while; undecided; unsettled; restless. * /Feeling at loose ends, I went for a long walk./ * /He had finished college but hadn't found a job yet, so he was at loose ends./

[at most] or [at the most] <adv. phr.> By the largest or most generous guess; at the upper limit; by the maximum account; not more than; at best; at worst. * /It was a minor offense at most./ * /He had been gone 15 minutes at the most./ * /Their new house lot is a quarter acre at most./

[at odds] <adj. phr.> In conflict or disagreement; opposed. * /The boy and girl were married a week after they met and soon found themselves at odds about religion./ Compare: AT LOGGERHEADS.

[at once] <adv. phr.> 1. Without delay; right now or right then; immediately. * /Put a burning match next to a piece of paper and it will begin burning at once./ * /Mother called the children to lunch, and Paul came at once, but Brenda stayed in the sand pile a little longer./ Syn.: RIGHT AWAY or RIGHT OFF. Compare: ALL AT ONCE(2).

[at one] <adj. phr.> 1. In union or harmony; in agreement or sympathy. Not usually used informally. * /He felt at one with all the poets who have sung of love./ 2. Of the same opinion, in agreement. * /Husband and wife were at one on everything but money./ Contrast: AT ODDS.

[at one fell swoop] See: IN ONE FELL SWOOP.

[at one's beck and call] or [at the beck and call of] <adj. phr.> Ready and willing to do whatever someone asks; ready to serve at a moment's notice. * /A good parent isn't necessarily always at the child's beck and call./

[at one's best] <prep. phr.> In best form; displaying one's best qualities. * /Tim is at his best when he has had a long swim before a ballgame./ * /Jane rested before the important meeting because she wanted to be at her best./

[at one's door] or [at one's doorstep] <adv. phr.> 1. Very close; very near where you live or work. * /Johnny is very lucky because there's a swimming pool right at his doorstep./ * /Mr. Green can get to work in only a few minutes because the subway is at his door./ 2. See: LAY AT ONE'S DOOR.

[at one's ease] See: AT EASE(2).

[at one's elbow] <adv. phr.> Close beside you; nearby. * /The President rode in an open car with his wife at his elbow./ * /Mary practiced for several years to become a champion swimmer and her mother was always at her elbow to help her./ Contrast: BREATHE DOWN ONE'S NECK.

[at one's feet] <adv. phr.> Under your influence or power. * /She had a dozen men at her feet./ * /Her voice kept audiences at her feet for years./ Compare: THROW ONESELF AT SOMEONE'S FEET.

[at one's fingertips] <adv. phr.> 1. Within easy reach; quickly touched; nearby. * /Seated in the cockpit, the pilot of a plane has many controls at his fingertips./ 2. Readily usable as knowledge or skill; familiar. * /He had several languages at his fingertips./ * /He had the whole design of the machine at his fingertips./

[at one's heels] <adv. phr.> Close behind; as a constant follower or companion. * /The boy got tired of having his little brother at his heels all day./ * /John ran by the finish line with Ned at his heels./ * /Bad luck followed at his heels all his life./

[at one's leisure] See: AT LEISURE(2).

[at one's service] <adv. phr.> 1. Ready to serve or help you; prepared to obey your wish or command; subject to your orders. * /He placed himself completely at the President's service./ * /"Now I am at your service," the dentist told the next patient./ 2. Available for your use; at your disposal. * /He put a car and chauffeur at the visitor's service./

[at one stroke] See: AT A BLOW or AT ONE STROKE.

[at one's wit's end] or [at wits end] <adj. phr.> Having no ideas as to how to meet a difficulty or solve a problem; feeling puzzled after having used up all of your ideas or resources; not knowing what to do; puzzled. * /He had approached every friend and acquaintance for help in vain, and now he was at his wit's end./ * /The designer was at his wit's end: he had tried out wings of many different kinds but none would fly./ Compare: AT A LOSS, END OF ONE'S ROPE.

[at one's word] See: TAKE AT ONE'S WORD.

[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.

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