Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

11 PREP If you point or gesture at something, you move your arm or head in its direction so that it will be noticed by someone you are with. □  He pointed at the empty bottle and the waitress quickly replaced it. □  He gestured at the shelves. 'I've bought many books from him.'

12 PREP If you are working at something, you are dealing with it. If you are aiming at something, you are trying to achieve it. □  She has worked hard at her marriage. □  …a $1.04m grant aimed at improving student performance on placement examinations.

13 PREP If something is done at someone's invitation or request, it is done as a result of it. □  She left the light on in the bathroom at his request.

14 PREP You use at to say that someone or something is in a particular state or condition. □  I am afraid we are not at liberty to disclose that information. □  Their countries had been at war for nearly six weeks.

15 PREP You use at before a possessive pronoun and a superlative adjective to say that someone or something has more of a particular quality than at any other time. □  He was at his happiest whilst playing cricket.

16 PREP You use at to say how something is being done. □  Three people were killed by shots fired at random from a minibus. □  Mr Martin was taken out of his car at gunpoint.

17 PREP You use at to show that someone is doing something repeatedly. □  She lowered the handkerchief which she had kept dabbing at her eyes. □  Miss Melville took a cookie and nibbled at it.

18 PREP You use at to indicate an activity or task when saying how well someone does it. □  I'm good at my work. □  Robin is an expert at cheesemaking.

19 PREP You use at to indicate what someone is reacting to. □  Eleanor was annoyed at having had to wait so long for him. □  The British team did not disguise their delight at their success.

20at all → see all

ata|vis|tic /æ təv I st I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Atavistic feelings or behaviour seem to be very primitive, like the feelings or behaviour of our earliest ancestors. [FORMAL ] □  …an atavistic fear of snakes.

ate /e t, e I t/ Ate is the past tense of eat .

at|el|ier /əte lie I , [AM ] æ t ^ə lje I / (ateliers ) N‑COUNT An atelier is an artist's studio or workshop.

athe|ism /e I θi I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Atheism is the belief that there is no God. Compare agnosticism .

athe|ist /e I θi I st/ (atheists ) N‑COUNT An atheist is a person who believes that there is no God. Compare agnostic .

athe|is|tic /e I θi I st I k/ ADJ Atheistic means connected with or holding the belief that there is no God. □  …atheistic philosophers.

ath|lete ◆◇◇ /æ θliːt/ (athletes )

1 N‑COUNT An athlete is a person who does a sport, especially athletics, or track and field events. □  Many top athletes find it hard, if not impossible to find real life again after retiring.

2 N‑COUNT You can refer to someone who is fit and athletic as an athlete . □  I was no athlete.

a th|lete's foo t N‑UNCOUNT Athlete's foot is a fungal infection in which the skin between the toes becomes cracked or peels off.

ath|let|ic /æθle t I k/

1 ADJ [ADJ n] Athletic means relating to athletes and athletics. □  They have been given college scholarships purely on athletic ability.

2 ADJ An athletic person is fit, and able to perform energetic movements easily. □  Xandra is an athletic 36-year-old with a 21-year-old's body.

ath|leti|cism /æθle t I s I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Athleticism is someone's fitness and ability to perform well at sports or other physical activities.

ath|let|ics /æθle t I ks/