at once
from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
at once
adv 1: without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening;
"he answered immediately"; "found an answer
straightaway"; "an official accused of dishonesty should
be suspended forthwith"; "Come here now!" [syn:
{immediately}, {instantly}, {straightaway}, {straight
off}, {directly}, {now}, {right away}, {at once},
{forthwith}, {like a shot}]
2: simultaneously; "he took three cookies at a time" [syn: {at a
time}, {at once}, {at one time}]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Once \Once\ (w[u^]ns), adv. [OE. ones, anes, an adverbial form
fr. one, on, an, one. See {One-}, {-Wards}.]
1. For one time; by limitation to the number one; not twice
nor any number of times more than one.
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Ye shall . . . go round about the city once. --Josh.
vi. 3.
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Trees that bear mast are fruitful but once in two
years. --Bacon.
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2. At some one period of time; -- used indefinitely.
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My soul had once some foolish fondness for thee.
--Addison.
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That court which we shall once govern. --Bp. Hall.
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3. At any one time; -- often nearly equivalent to ever, if
ever, or whenever; as, once kindled, it may not be
quenched.
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Wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be?
--Jer. xiii.
27.
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To be once in doubt
Is once to be resolved. --Shak.
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Note: Once is used as a noun when preceded by this or that;
as, this once, that once. It is also sometimes used
elliptically, like an adjective, for once-existing.
"The once province of Britain." --J. N. Pomeroy.
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{At once}.
(a) At the same point of time; immediately; without delay.
"Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at
once." --Shak. "I . . . withdrew at once and
altogether." --Jeffrey.
(b) At one and the same time; simultaneously; in one body;
as, they all moved at once.
{Once and again}, once and once more; repeatedly. "A dove
sent forth once and again, to spy." --Milton.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
At \At\, prep. [AS. [ae]t; akin to OHG. az, Goth., OS., & Icel.
at, Sw. [*a]t, Dan. & L. ad.]
Primarily, this word expresses the relations of presence,
nearness in place or time, or direction toward; as, at the
ninth hour; at the house; to aim at 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 of at. It expresses:
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1. 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.
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2. 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.
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3. The relation of some employment or action; occupied with;
as, at engraving; at husbandry; at play; at work; at meat
(eating); except at puns.
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4. The relation of a point or position in a series, or of
degree, rate, or value; as, with the thermometer at
80[deg]; goods sold at a cheap price; a country estimated
at 10,000 square miles; life is short at the longest.
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5. The relations of time, age, or order; as, at ten o'clock;
at twenty-one; at once; at first.
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6. The relations of source, occasion, reason, consequence, or
effect; as, at the sight; at this news; merry at anything;
at this declaration; at his command; to demand, require,
receive, deserve, endure at your hands.
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7. Relation of direction toward an object or end; as, look at
it; to point at one; to aim at a mark; to throw, strike,
shoot, wink, mock, laugh at any one.
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{At all}, {At home}, {At large}, {At last}, {At length}, {At
once}, etc. See under {All}, {Home}, {Large}, {Last} (phrase
and syn.), {Length}, {Once}, etc.
{At it}, busily or actively engaged.
{At least}. See {Least} and {However}.
{At one}. See {At one}, in the Vocabulary.
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Syn: {In}, {At}.
Usage: 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.
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from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
81 Moby Thesaurus words for "at once":
PDQ, all at once, all together, amain, apace, as one, at a blow,
at a stroke, at one blow, at one jump, at one stroke, at one swoop,
at one time, by forced marches, coincidentally, coinstantaneously,
concurrently, conjointly, corporately, cursorily, decisively,
directly, expeditiously, feverishly, forthwith, furiously,
hand over fist, hastily, helter-skelter, hotfoot, hurriedly,
hurry-scurry, immediately, in a hurry, in agreement, in common,
in concord, in no time, in partnership, in passing, in unison,
inharmony, instanter, instantly, jointly, mutually, now,
on the instant, on the run, on the spot, pell-mell, per saltum,
pretty damned quick, promptly, pronto, quickly, right away,
right now, right off, simultaneously, slapdash, smartly, speedily,
straightaway, straightway, subito, summarily, superficially,
swiftly, then and there, this minute, this very minute, together,
uno saltu, with a rush, with all haste, with all speed,
with dispatch, with haste, without delay, without further delay
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