at Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun a highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series); a decay product of uranium and thorium
atomic number 85; astatine.
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noun 100 at equal 1 kip in Laos
WordNet
At preposition
Etymology
AS.Definitions
Primarily, this word expresses the relations of presence, nearness in place or time, or direction toward; It expresses: -as, .at the ninth hour;at the house; to aimat 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 ofat -
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. -
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. -
The relation of some employment or action; occupied with; as, at engraving;at husbandry;at play;at work;at meat (eating); exceptat puns. -
The relation of a point or position in a series, or of degree, rate, or value; as, with the thermometer at 80°; goods soldat a cheap price; a country estimatedat 10,000 square miles; life is shortat the longest. -
The relations of time, age, or order; as, at ten o'clock;at twenty-one;at once;at first. -
The relations of source, occasion, reason, consequence, or effect; as, at the sight;at this news; merryat anything;at this declaration;at his command; to demand, require, receive, deserve, endureat your hands. -
Relation of direction toward an object or end; as, look at it; to pointat one; to aimat a mark; to throw, strike, shoot, wink, mock, laughat any one.Syn. -- In ,At .When reference to the interior of any place is made prominent in is used. It is used before the names of countries and cities (esp. large cities); as, we live in America, in New York, in the South. At is commonly employed before names of houses, institutions, villages, and small places; as, Milton was educated at Christ's College; money taken in at the Customhouse; I saw him at the jeweler's; we live at Beachville. At may be used before the name of a city when it is regarded as a mere point of locality. "An English king was crowned at Paris." Macaulay. "Jean Jacques Rousseau was born at Geneva, June, 28, 1712." J. Morley. In regard to time, we say at the hour, on the day, in the year; as, at 9 o'clock, on the morning of July 5th, in the year 1775.