Glance Definition

glăns

glanced, glances, glancing

verb

glanced, glances, glancing

To direct the eyes at or toward something briefly.

Glanced in the rearview mirror.

American Heritage

To cause (an object) to strike a surface at an angle and be deflected.

Webster's New World

To read quickly or in cursory fashion.

Glanced at the menu.

American Heritage

To shine over or through something at an angle.

The sun glanced through the leaves.

American Heritage

To look suddenly and briefly; take a quick look.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
stick
stare
study
gaze

noun

glances

A glancing off; deflected impact.

Webster's New World

A quick look.

Webster's New World

A flash or gleam.

Webster's New World

An oblique movement following impact; a deflection.

The car struck the barrier and went off at a glance.

American Heritage

Any of various ores with a metallic luster: now applied to only a few metallic ores, such as silver glance (argentite) and lead glance (galena)

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Antonyms:
study
gaze
thorough examination
full inspection
stare

idiom

at first glance

On initial consideration:
At first glance the plan seemed unworkable.

American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Glance

Noun

Singular:

glance

Plural:

glances

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Glance

at first glance

Origin of Glance

From Middle English glacen (“to graze, strike a glancing blow”), from Old French glacier (“to slip, make slippery”). Sense of "look quickly" (first recorded 1580s) probably was influenced in form and meaning by Middle English glenten (“to look askance”). See glint.

From Wiktionary
Middle English glauncen alteration (influenced by glenten to shine) of glacen from Old French glacer to slide glacis

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
German Glanz from Middle High German glanz from Old High German bright ghel-² in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition