at a time

adverb

simultaneously (Freq. 8)

-

he took three cookies at a time

• Syn: ↑at once, ↑at one time

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at a time phrase

used for saying how many people or things there are in each group or on each occasion

We usually talk to four or five candidates at a time.

Deal with each question separately, one at a time.

Thesaurus: words used to describe amounts or quantities_synonym

Main entry: time

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separately in the specified groups or numbers

he took the stairs two at a time

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at a time

1 : during one particular moment

I can only do one thing at a time. [=at once]

Please speak one at a time. [=so that only one person is speaking at any time]

We carried the boxes two at a time up the stairs. [=we carried two boxes each time we went up the stairs]

2 : during one period of time without stopping

She can sit and read for hours at a time. [=at a stretch]

3

◇ If you take one day at a time or take it/things one day at a time, you make progress in a slow and careful way by dealing with each day as it comes.

We got through the ordeal by taking one day at a time. [=taking it day by day]

• • •

Main Entry: ↑time

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at a ˈtime idiom

separately or in groups of two, three, etc. on each occasion

•

We had to go and see the principal one at a time.

•

She ran up the stairs two at a time.

Main entry: ↑time_idiom