Attain vs At - What's the difference?
attain | at |
To accomplish; to achieve.
To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain.
* Fuller
To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at.
* Milton
* Bible, Psalms cxxxix. 6
To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.; to reach.
* Bible, Acts xxvii. 12
* Sir Walter Scott
* Cowper
* J. R. Green
To reach in excellence or degree; to equal.
(obsolete) To overtake.
In or very near a particular place.
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*:“My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”
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*:(b ) sporophyte with foot reduced, the entire sporophyte enveloped by the calyptra, which is ± stipitate at the base.
(indicating time) Simultaneous, during.
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*{{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 19, author=Josh Halliday, work=the Guardian
, title= In the direction of (often in an unfocused or uncaring manner).
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*:“My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”
Occupied in (activity).
:
:
Because of.
:
Holding a given speed or .
:
In a state of.
:
bothering, irritating, causing discomfort to
*1995 Keith Wood, quoted in David Hughes, "
*: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'[.]
*2014 Marian Keyes "
*: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.”
As a verb attain
is to accomplish; to achieve.As a symbol at is
.attain
English
Verb
(en verb)- To attain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day.
- not well attaining his meaning
- Canaan he now attains .
- Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it.
- if by any means they might attain to Phenice
- Nor nearer might the dogs attain .
- to see your trees attain to the dignity of timber
- Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this.
- (Francis Bacon)
at
English
(AT)Preposition
(English prepositions)Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?, passage=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.}}
Wood odds-on to take one against the head", in The Independent (London) 18 January:
Antarctic Diary - Part 2" personal website (January 2014):