glance

¹

[glans, glahns]

verb (used without object)

glanced, glancing 

1. to look quickly or briefly.

2. to gleam or flash.

   a silver brooch glancing in the sunlight.

   Synonyms: scintillate, glisten

3. to strike a surface or object obliquely, especially so as to bounce off at an angle (often followed byoff ).

   The arrow glanced off his shield.

   Synonyms: ricochet, reflect

4. to allude briefly to a topic or subject in passing (usually followed byat ).

verb (used with object)

Archaic.

glanced, glancing 

1. to cast a glance or brief look at; catch a glimpse of.

2. to cast or reflect, as a gleam.

3. to throw, hit, kick, shoot, etc. (something) so that it glances off a surface or object.

noun

1. a quick or brief look.

2. a gleam or flash of light, especially reflected light.

   Synonyms: glitter

3. a deflected movement or course; an oblique rebound.

4. Digital Technology.,  information on an electronic screen that can be understood quickly or at a glance.

   Get news and weather glances on your phone.

   Tap anywhere on a glance to open the app.

5. Cricket.,  a stroke in which the batsman deflects the ball with the bat, as to leg.

6. Archaic.,  a passing reference or allusion; insinuation.

glance

²

[glans, glahns]

noun

1. any of various minerals having a luster that indicates a metallic nature.

glance

¹

/ ɡlɑːns /

verb

1. (intr) to look hastily or briefly

2. (intr; foll by over, through, etc) to look over briefly

   to glance through a report

3. (intr) to reflect, glint, or gleam

   the sun glanced on the water

4. to depart (from an object struck) at an oblique angle

   the arrow glanced off the tree

5. (tr) to strike at an oblique angle

   the arrow glanced the tree

noun

1. a hasty or brief look; peep

2. from one's first look; immediately

3. a flash or glint of light; gleam

4. the act or an instance of an object glancing or glancing off another

5. a brief allusion or reference

6. cricket a stroke in which the ball is deflected off the bat to the leg side; glide

glance

²

/ ɡlɑːns /

noun

1. any mineral having a metallic lustre, esp a simple sulphide

   copper glance

Usage

Glance is sometimes wrongly used where glimpse is meant: he caught a glimpse (not glance ) of her making her way through the crowd

Other Word Forms

• glancingly adverb
• glancing adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of glance¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English verb glenchen, glansen, variant (perhaps influenced by obsolete glent “to shine”) of Middle English glacen “to strike a glancing blow,” from Old French glacier “to slip, slide,” from Latin glaciāre “to freeze”; glacé, glint

Origin of glance²

First recorded in 1795–1805; from German Glanz “brightness, luster”

Word History and Origins

Origin of glance¹

C15: modification of glacen to strike obliquely, from Old French glacier to slide (see _glacis ); compare Middle English glenten to make a rapid sideways movement, _glint

Origin of glance²

C19: from German Glanz brightness, lustre

Idioms and Phrases

see at first blush (glance).

Synonym Study

See flash.

Example Sentences

At first glance, Abbe’s pile looks a bit precarious; in real life, would those books remain in place?

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Van Dijk nearly made amends for his earlier blunder when he glanced a header against the bar from Mohamed Salah's corner.

Read more on Barron's

We’re a lot like her already, making the first five episodes feel like a sideways glance into some version of a reflection.

Read more on Salon

The message has been heard in the markets, and at first glance in her own party.

Read more on BBC

He grumbles that it’s hard to open up to someone who can already “divine your secrets at a glance.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bounce 
• carom 
• dart 
• kiss 
• skim 
• skip