advb. phr. Also 3 at enes, 3–6 at ones, 4 at oones, at onis, atonys, 4–6 atones, -is, attones, -is, 5 at oonys, atte ones, attonys, 6 atons, att onis, attonce, 6– at once. North. 4–6 atanes, -is, atans, 6 atanse. [AT prep. and ONCE, ME. anes, ones, gen. of ONE, used in sense of OE. áne adv., ‘one time, once,’ instrumental case of án.]
† 1. At one stroke, heat, etc.; with one sweep; once for all. Obs.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xxi. 15. Als watre outyet I am at anes.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 41. Were it not bet at oones for to dye, Than [etc.].
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Feb., 38. You deemen the Spring is come attonce.
† 2. In (or into) one heap, company or body; together. Obs.
a. 1300. Havelok, 1294. That I fadmede al at ones Denemark.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 5178. Alphouns & his broþer, & here worþi wiues þat were alle at onis.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (1865), I. 227. Ȝif þe stone is oon, telle what craft brouȝt hym vppon; Ȝif meny st[on]es, telle where þey ioyne attones.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 123. The folke schall com alle attonys.
1508–13. W. de Worde, Bk. Keruynge, in Babees Bk., 269. Holde these thre endes atones, & folde them atones.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., March. Mought her neck bene ioynted attones, She shoulde haue neede no more spell.
3. At one and the same time; simultaneously. (At first scarcely distinguishable from the prec.)
a. 1230. Ancr. R., 420. Ne ne nime, at enes, to ueole disceplines.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 294. Full sodeynly they stynten al atones [v.r. attones, at ones].
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 410/1. Eche man myght haue foure wyues wedded attones.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 5027. Sic treasour … In erth had neuir no kyng att onis.
1576. Gascoigne, Steele Glass (Arb.), 70. More clothes attones than might become a king.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 31. At once, you will have two Sides of your Shank forged.
1714. Spect., No. 599, ¶ 1. As I had had many Coquettes recommended to me … I let them in all at once.
1870. Bryant, Homer, IV. I. 121. The gods Bestow not all their gifts on man at once.
4. With the temporal sense weakened: In one and the same act, position, condition, circumstances, manner, degree; equally, both.
1588. A. King, Canisius’ Catech., 6 b. Mother of god, and ane virgine baithe atanse.
1692. E. Walker, Epictetus’ Mor., iv. Be rich, and yet true Happiness attain; That is, at once, be very wise and vain.
1709. Swift, Trit. Ess., Wks. 1755, II. I. 140. He was at once the judge and the criminal.
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xiii. 259. The background at once of the history and of the geography of Palestine.
† 5. At one time or turn, at each time, every time, at a time. Obs.
1563. Shute, Archit., F ij a. The encreasing from . 15 . to . 60 . foote increased by .5 at ones.
1585. Lloyd, Treas. Health, D viij. Put into the eye a lytle atons.
6. Immediately, straightway.
1531. Tindale, Exp. & Notes (1849), 179. The apostles were clear-eyed, and espied antichrist at once.
a. 1774. Goldsm., Surv. Exp. Philos. (1776), I. 311. This effectually destroys the steam at once.
1812. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 176. If this be their purpose … it ought to be met at once.
