When and how you wish at yourconvenience; 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 thesubject at length to understand it./ •/The teacher explained the new lessonat length to the students./ 2. In the end; at last; finally. •/The moviebecame more and more exciting, until at length people were sitting on the edgeof their chairs./
[at liberty]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} Free to go somewhere or dosomething; not shut in or stopped. •/The police promised to set the man atliberty if he told the names of the other robbers./ •/I am sorry, but I amnot 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 onforeign aid./ •/Because of their barking dog, the Morrises lived atloggerheads 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 looseends./
[at most] or [at the most]{adv. phr.} By the largest or mostgenerous guess; at the upper limit; by the maximum account; not more than; atbest; at worst. •/It was a minor offense at most./ •/He had been gone 15minutes at the most./ •/Their new house lot is a quarter acre at most./
[at odds]{adj. phr.} In conflict or disagreement; opposed. •/The boyand girl were married a week after they met and soon found themselves at oddsabout 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 beginburning at once./ •/Mother called the children to lunch, and Paul came atonce, but Brenda stayed in the sand pile a little longer./ Syn.: RIGHT AWAYor 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 havesung of love./ 2. Of the same opinion, in agreement. •/Husband and wifewere 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’snotice. •/A good parent isn’t necessarily always at the child’s beck andcall./
[at one’s best]{prep. phr.} In best form; displaying one’s bestqualities. •/Tim is at his best when he has had a long swim before aballgame./ •/Jane rested before the important meeting because she wanted tobe 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 aswimming pool right at his doorstep./ •/Mr. Green can get to work in only afew 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. •/ThePresident rode in an open car with his wife at his elbow./ •/Mary practicedfor several years to become a champion swimmer and her mother was always at herelbow to help her./ Contrast: BREATHE DOWN ONE’S NECK.
[at one’s feet]{adv. phr.} Under your influence or power. •/She hada dozen men at her feet./ •/Her voice kept audiences at her feet foryears./ Compare: THROW ONESELF AT SOMEONE’S FEET.
[at one’s fingertips]{adv. phr.} 1. Within easy reach; quicklytouched; nearby. •/Seated in the cockpit, the pilot of a plane has manycontrols at his fingertips./ 2. Readily usable as knowledge or skill;familiar. •/He had several languages at his fingertips./ •/He had thewhole design of the machine at his fingertips./
[at one’s heels]{adv. phr.} Close behind; as a constant follower orcompanion. •/The boy got tired of having his little brother at his heels allday./ •/John ran by the finish line with Ned at his heels./ •/Bad luckfollowed 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; preparedto obey your wish or command; subject to your orders. •/He placed himselfcompletely at the President’s service./ •/"Now I am at your service," thedentist 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 ideasas to how to meet a difficulty or solve a problem; feeling puzzled after havingused up all of your ideas or resources; not knowing what to do; puzzled. •/Hehad approached every friend and acquaintance for help in vain, and now he wasat his wit’s end./ •/The designer was at his wit’s end: he had tried outwings of many different kinds but none would fly./ Compare: AT A LOSS, END OFONE’S ROPE.
[at one’s word] See: TAKE AT ONE’S WORD.
[at one time]{adv. phr.} 1. In the same moment; together. •/Let’sstart the dance again all at one time./ •/Mr. Reed’s bills came all at onetime and he could not pay them./ Syn.: AT THE SAME TIME(1). 2. At a certaintime in the past; years ago. •/At one time people thought that Minnesota wasnot a good place to live./ •/At one time most school teachers were men, buttoday there are more women than men./
[at pains]{adj. phr.} Making a special effort. •/At pains to make agood impression, she was prompt for her appointment./
[at present]{adv. phr.} At this time; now. •/It took a long time toget started, but at present the road is half finished./ •/At present thehouse 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 clotheswere scattered about the room at random./
[at sea(1)]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. On an ocean voyage; on ajourney by ship. •/They had first met at sea./ 2. Out on the ocean; awayfrom land. •/By the second day the ship was well out at sea./ •/Charleshad 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./ •/Whenhis friends talked about chemistry, Don was at sea, because he did not studychemistry./ Compare: AT A LOSS.
[at sight] or [on sight]{adv. phr.} 1. The first time the personor thing is seen; as soon as the person or thing is seen. •/First graderslearn to read many words on sight./ •/Mary had seen many pictures ofGrandfather, so she knew him on sight./ Compare: AT ONCE(1). 2. On demand, onasking the first time. •/The money order was payable at sight./
[at sixes and sevens]{adj. phr.} Not in order; in confusion; in amess. •/He apologized because his wife was away and the house was at sixesand sevens./ •/Our teacher had just moved to a new classroom, and she wasstill 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 anactivity; at (some) point. •/At that stage of the game, our team was doing sopoorly that we were ready to give up./ •/It’s hard to know what will happenat this stage of the game./ •/At what stage of the game did the manleave?/
[at stake]{adj. phr.} Depending, like a bet, on the outcome ofsomething uncertain; in a position to be lost or gained. •/The team playedhard because the championship of the state was at stake./ •/The farmerswere more anxious for rain than the people in the city because they had more atstake./ Compare: HANG IN THE BALANCE.
[at straws] See: GRASP AT STRAWS.
[at swords' points]{adj. phr.} Ready to start fighting; very muchopposed to each; other hostile; quarreling. •/The dog’s barking kept theBrowns at swords' points with their neighbors for months./ •/The mayor andthe 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 haircutbut let it go at that./ 2. In addition; also. •/Bill’s seat mate on theplane 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