ng, _at_ which he was
besought to be present.--T.W. HIGGINSON.

(2) _Time_, more exact, meaning the point of time at which.

He wished to attack _at_ daybreak.--PARKMAN.

They buried him darkly, _at_ dead of night.--WOLFE

(3) _Direction._

The mother stood looking wildly down _at_ the unseemly
object.--COOPER.

You are next invited...to grasp _at_ the opportunity, and take
for your subject, "Health."--HIGGINSON.

Here belong such expressions as _laugh at_, _look at_, _wink at_,
_gaze at_, _stare at_, _peep at_, _scowl at_, _sneer at_, _frown at_,
etc.

We _laugh at_ the elixir that promises to prolong life to a
thousand years.--JOHNSON.

"You never mean to say," pursued Dot, sitting on the floor and
_shaking_ her head _at_ him.--DICKENS.

(4) _Source_ or _cause_, meaning _because of_, _by reason of_.

I felt my heart chill _at_ the dismal sound.--T.W. KNOX.

Delighted _at_ this outburst against the Spaniards.--PARKMAN.

(5) Then the idiomatic phrases _at last_, _at length_, _at any rate_,
_at the best_, _at the worst_, _at least_, _at most_, _at first_, _at
once_, _at all_, _at one_, _at naught_, _at random_, etc.; and phrases
signifying state or condition of being, as, _at work_, _at play_, _at
peace_, _at war_, _at rest_, etc.

Exercise.--Find sentences with three different uses of _at_.

By.

320. Like _at_, by means _near_ or _close to_, but has several
other meanings more or less connected with this,--

(1) The general meaning of _place_.

Richard was standing _by_ the window.--ALDRICH.

Provided always the coach had not shed a wheel _by_ the
roadside.--_Id._

(2) _Time._

But _by_ this time the bell of Old Alloway began tolling.--B.
TAYLOR

The angel came _by_ night.--R.H. STODDARD.

(3) _Agency_ or _means_.

Menippus knew which were the kings _by_ their howling
louder.--M.D. CONWAY.

At St. Helena, the first port made _by_ the ship, he stopped.
--PARTON.

(4) _Measure of excess_, expressing the degree of difference.

At that time [the earth] was richer, _by_ many a million of
acres.--DE QUINCEY.

He was taller _by_ almost the breadth of my nail.--SWIFT.

(5) It is also used in _oaths and adjurations_.

_By_ my faith, that is a very plump hand for a man of
eighty-four!--PARTON.

They implore us _by_ the long trials of stru