at

Etymology 1

From Middle English at, from Old English æt (“at, near, by, toward”), from Proto-Germanic *at (“at, near, to”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“near, at”). Cognate with Scots at (“at”), North Frisian äät, äit, et, it (“at”), Danish at (“to”), Swedish åt (“for, toward”), Norwegian åt (“to”), Faroese at (“at, to, toward”), Icelandic að (“to, towards”), Gothic 𐌰𐍄 (at, “at”), Latin ad (“to, near”).

prep

1. In, near, or in the general vicinity of a particular place.
   Caesar was at Rome
   at the corner of Fourth Street and Vine
   at Jim’s house
   Hirtius and Pansa, who were good men and admirers of Cicero, begged him not to desert them, and undertook to put down Antony if Cicero would remain at Rome. 1919, Plutarch, Parallel Lives, "The Life of Cicero", 43 (Bernadotte Perrin, trans.)
   Today my friend Marsha is at her friend's house. Audio (US) (file) 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
2. (indicating time) Indicating occurrence in an instant of time or a period of time relatively short in context or from the speaker's perspective.
   at six o’clock
   at closing time
   at night
   Lafayette was major-general in the American army at the age of 18 […] 1838, The Family Magazine
   Other global taboos, such as sex and suicide, manifest themselves widely online, with websites offering suicide guides and Hot XXX Action seconds away at the click of a button. The UK government will come under pressure to block access to pornographic websites this year when a committee of MPs publishes its report on protecting children online. April 19, 2012, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in the Guardian
   Hi, Anne. Are you busy? — Hi, Anna. Yes. At 10 a.m. I am writing. Audio (US) (file) 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
3. In the direction of (often in an unfocused or uncaring manner).
   He threw the ball at me.
   He shouted at her.
4. Denotes a price.
   3 apples at 2¢ (each)
   The offer was at $30,000 before negotiations.
5. Occupied in (activity).
   men at work
6. In a state of.
   She is at sixes and sevens with him.
   They are at loggerheads over how best to tackle the fiscal cliff.
   The city was at the mercy of the occupying forces.
7. Indicates a position on a scale or in a series.
   Sell at 90.
   Tiger finished the round at tenth, seven strokes behind the leaders.
   I'm offering it—just to select customers—at cost.
8. Because of.
   to laugh at a joke
   mad at their comments
9. Indicates a means, method, or manner.
   … to be sold at auction for sixty gold francs. 1995, Richard Klein, Cigarettes are Sublime, page 41
   A few days later, on 1 October, King Hussein opened the Jordanian Parliament by speaking at length about the crisis in Syria, 2012, Sami Moubayed, Syria and the USA: Washington's Relations with Damascus
10. Holding a given speed or rate.
    It is growing at the rate of 3% a year.
    Cruising along at fifty miles per hour.
11. (used for skills (including in activities) or areas of knowledge) On the subject of; regarding.
    The twins were both bad at chemistry.
    He slipped at marksmanship over his extended vacation.
    She's good at playing musical instruments, singing and dancing, chess, calligraphy, and painting. 2015, Sanyan Stories: Favorites from a Ming Dynasty Collection, page 157
12. (Ireland, stressed pronunciation) Bothering, irritating, causing discomfort to
    I think 'Jesus, my back is at me'. Then I get the ball. Off you go for 10 yards and you don't feel a thing. Then you stop and think: `Jesus, it's at me again'[.] 1995 Keith Wood, quoted in David Hughes, "Wood odds-on to take one against the head", in The Independent (London) 18 January
    He seems to be saying. “Ah, go on, you’re making the other lads feel bad.” But the 4th fella says, “No. Don’t be ‘at’ me. I’m just not in the form right now, I’ll stay where I am, thanks.” 2014 Marian Keyes "Antarctic Diary - Part 2" personal website (January 2014)
13. (UK, Commonwealth, Ireland, especially finance) (also as at; before dates) On a particular date.
    balance as at 20th March 1999 n.d., quoted in Longmans Business Dictionary

noun

1. The at sign (@).

verb

1. (informal, neologism) Rare form of @; to reply to or talk to someone, either online or face-to-face. (from the practice of targeting a message or reply to someone online by writing @name)
   If you have questions or observations on my discussion questions, feel free to reply to this email, at me on Twitter, or comment on the companion post on AMV. 2022, William Morris, Motley Vision

Etymology 2

pron

1. (Northern England, rare, possibly obsolete) Alternative form of 'at (relative pronoun; reduced form of "that" and/or "what")
   Tak us t' foxes, t' little foxes at spoils t' veynes: fer our veynes hev tender grapes. 1860, Robert Gordon Latham, Song of Solomon, as spoken in Durham [by Thomas Moore], in A hand-book of the English language

Etymology 3

noun

1. Alternative form of att (Laos currency unit)