Slang dictionary
at a glance
[at uh glans]
What does at a glance mean?
At a glance means “with a brief look,” mostly used to indicate that content is a quick and handy snapshot of its fuller, more complicated whole.
Related words:
- at first glance
- at first sight
- overview
- sneak peak
- snippet
Where does at a glance come from?
Among other meanings, a glance is a “quick look” at something, dating back to the 1500s. When it first emerges isn’t exactly clear, but at a glance became an idiom in Modern English for “upon a quick look.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used it, for instance, in an 1892 Sherlock Homes story: “It was obvious at a glance that the story of the fuller’s-earth was the merest fabrication…” Elementary.
In the 20th century, at a glance spread as “overiew,” ranging from bullet points of complex events or processes (the Civil War at a glance, college enrollment at a glance) to a brand of calendars, At-A-Glance, designed to give people a snapshot of their day, week, or month at a glance. Basically, anything that’s complex or at all confusing can be given an “at a glance” form.
#WorldCup: At a glance https://t.co/zyn5LdgXJ5 pic.twitter.com/s81J1FVsb4
— Channel NewsAsia (@ChannelNewsAsia) June 14, 2018
Examples of at a glance
Three men and a baby - today's news at a glance...We might find out today what will happen to three prominent jobs, and there will be a nice story about babies.
Who uses at a glance?
In everyday speech and writing, at a glance is a shorthand for “shortand.” It signals that dense or long information will be presented in an easier and clearer way for us dumb-dumbs so that we quickly get the highlights, the big takeaway, the gist—all with just a skim.
Cardinals draft picks at a glance https://t.co/EYMFTkV4p5
— St. Louis BBWAA (@StLouisBBWAA) June 5, 2018
Top4 #cryptocurrency price at a glance #BTC #ETH #Ripple #BCH , huge drop today.$BTC $6780 -11% $ETH $521 -13%$XRP $0.57 -13%$BCH $933 -16%
Biggest Gainer& Loser $HC +155% $FTC -38% $FRGC +43% $TRUE -36%#blockchain #crypto #fintech pic.twitter.com/9t30umu2yQ
— BlockPulse (@BlockPulse360) June 10, 2018
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of at a glance like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of at a glance that will help our users expand their word mastery.