An archaic or obsolete preposition meaning 'at the'; a contraction found in Middle English texts.
From at + the, contracted into a single word in Middle English. This was common in surnames like 'atte Cross' (meaning 'at the cross'), especially in 13th-14th century English.
Medieval English surnames like 'Attewood' or 'Attenborough' literally come from this contraction—'atte wood' meant you lived at the edge of the forest, and your location became your last name.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.