At
319. The general meaning of at is _near_, _close to_, after a verb
or expression implying position; and _towards_ after a verb or
expression indicating motion. It defines position approximately, while
_in_ is exact, meaning _within_.
Its principal uses are as follows:--
(1) _Place where._
They who heard it listened with a curling horror _at_ the
heart.--J.F. COOPER.
There had been a strike _at_ the neighboring manufacturing
village, and there was to be a public meeting, _at_ which he was
besought to be present.--T.W. HIGGINSON.
(2) _Time_, more exact, meaning the point of time at which.
He wished to attack _at_ daybreak.--PARKMAN.
They buried him darkly, _at_ dead of night.--WOLFE
(3) _Direction._
The mother stood looking wildly down _at_ the unseemly
object.--COOPER.
You are next invited...to grasp _at_ the opportunity, and take
for your subject, "Health."--HIGGINSON.
Here belong such expressions as
_laugh at_,
_look at_,
_wink at_,
_gaze at_,
_stare at_,
_peep at_,
_scowl at_,
_sneer at_,
_frown at_,etc.
We _laugh at_ the elixir that promises to prolong life to a
thousand years.--JOHNSON.
"You never mean to say," pursued Dot, sitting on the floor and
_shaking_ her head _at_ him.--DICKENS.
(4) _Source_ or _cause_, meaning _because of_, _by reason of_.
I felt my heart chill _at_ the dismal sound.--T.W. KNOX.
Delighted _at_ this outburst against the Spaniards.--PARKMAN.
(5) Then the idiomatic phrases
_at last_,
_at length_,
_at any rate_,
_at the best_,
_at the worst_,
_at least_,
_at most_,
_at first_,
_at once_,
_at all_, _at one_,
_at naught_,
_at random_, etc.;
and phrases signifying state or condition of being, as,
_at work_,
_at play_,
_at peace_,
_at war_,
_at rest_, etc.
Exercise.--
Find sentences with three different uses of _at_.
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