glance

GLANS/ɡlæns/UKGLAHNS/ɡlɑːns/

26 meanings of glance

1
nounfigurativelycountable
A quick, short look at something or someone.
Like opening a door just a crack to peek inside, then closing it.
She gave the report a quick glance and signed it.
One glance at the sky told them rain was coming.
Similarlook, glimpse, peek, peep
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2
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To look at something or someone for a very short time.
Like looking up for a second, then looking back down.
She glanced at the clock and rushed out the door.
Drivers should glance at their mirrors before turning.
Similarlook, peek, peep
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3
verbtransitive
To look quickly at a particular thing.
She glanced at her phone under the desk.
Glance at the directions before you set off.
Similarlook, peek, peep
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4
verbtransitive
To turn your eyes toward something for a moment.
She glanced her eyes across the crowded hall.
Glance your eyes over these notes before the exam.
Similarcast, run, turn, dart
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5
verbintransitive
To shine with quick flashes of light.
Like sunlight sparkling on moving water.
Sunlight glanced across the polished table all afternoon.
Diamonds glance under bright store lights.
Similargleam, glint, sparkle, glitter, flash
6
verbintransitive
To move in a way that catches light and flashes.
Like a coin flashing as it tumbles through the air.
The dancer's sequins glanced as she spun on stage.
Polished blades glance when soldiers march in the sun.
Similarflash, glitter, glint, sparkle, gleam
7
nounfigurativelycountable
A quick movement that catches light and makes a flash.
Like the flash of light when you tilt a shiny spoon.
The glance of sunlight off the blade caught her eye.
Every spin of the mirror sent a bright glance across the room.
Similarflash, glint, gleam, sparkle, glitter
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8
verbfigurativelytransitive
To send a feeling or message to someone using your eyes.
She glanced a warning to her brother across the table.
With one look he can glance a clear message of disapproval.
Similarsignal, flash, convey
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9
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To hit something and bounce off to one side.
Like a ball bouncing off a wall at an angle.
The arrow glanced off the stone wall and fell harmlessly.
Flat stones glance off the water when you throw them right.
Similarricochet, bounce, rebound, deflect, skim
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10
verbfigurativelytransitive
To make something move off to one side.
He glanced the ball off the wall on purpose.
With a flick of the stick, players can glance the puck toward the net.
Similardeflect, skim, skip, bounce

11
verbfigurativelytransitive
To hit a ball gently so it changes direction.
Like tapping a rolling marble so it rolls off a new way.
He glanced the ball past the fielder for a quick run.
Good batters can glance the ball to one side with ease.
Similardeflect, flick, glide, tickle
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12
nouncountable
A cricket hit made with the bat held at a slant.
His glance sent the ball racing to the boundary.
She played a neat glance to score two runs.
Similarflick, glide, tickle
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13
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To play a cricket shot by holding the bat at a slant.
He glanced down the leg side and ran two.
Good players can glance neatly to one side.
Similarglide, flick, tickle
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14
verbfigurativelytransitive
To hit a cricket ball with a slanted bat so it goes off to one side.
Like tapping a rolling ball with the side of a spoon so it rolls off sideways.
She glanced the ball down toward the boundary for a quick single.
He likes to glance fast deliveries away to the leg side.
Similarglide, flick, tickle, deflect
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15
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To mention something briefly, often in a critical way.
Like quickly touching a subject in talk instead of stopping to discuss it.
Critics often glance at his early mistakes when they review his work.
She glanced at his rival's failings during the debate.
Similarallude, hint, touch
16
verbobsoleteintransitive
To move very fast, darting or shooting forward.
And all along the Forum, and up the Sacred Street, / His vulture eye pursued the trip of those small glancing feet.
1834, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “Virginia”Here, glancing means moving quickly with darting steps.
Why is my verſe ſo barren of new pride? / So far from variation or quicke change? / Why with the time do I not glance aſide / To new found methods, and to compounds ſtrange?
1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 76”Here, glance means to move quickly, darting off to the side.
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17
nounobsoletecountable
A hit that sends something bouncing off to one side.
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18
verbobsoleteintransitive
To pass close by something without touching it.
Like a car passing very close to a wall without touching it.
Ships glance by one another in the crowded harbor without ever touching.
Some have digged deep, yet glanced by the Royal Vein; and a Man may come unto the Pericardium, but not the Heart of Truth.
c. 1670, Thomas Browne, “Sect[ion] III”Here, glanced by means passed close by without touching.
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19
verbobsoletetransitive
To touch something lightly or at an angle, just grazing it.
Like a ball that just brushes the edge of a table.
Stray arrows sometimes glance the armor without piercing it.
Afterwards I tooke a walke in yᵉ King’s gardens, where I observ’d that the Mall gos the whole square thereof next yᵉ wall, and bends with an angle so made as to glace [glance] yᵉ hall; the angle is of stone.
1651, John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 15 September 1651]”Here, glace means to touch lightly or at an angle, just grazing.
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20
verbobsoletetransitive
To make a brief, often critical remark about something.
Like making a small remark about something without saying it straight out.
Satirists glance the follies of the court in every play.
[T]hey rush upon him, and he narrowly escapes killing or ducking, for having ventured to glance a censure at the General.
1825, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of Friedrich SchillerHere, glance means to make a brief, critical remark.
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21
nounobsoletefigurativelycountable
A brief, often critical comment or hint about a topic.
Like a quiet hint that points to something bad.
His speech ended with a sly glance at the mayor's failings.
[W]hen Marcus Philoſophus came in, Sylenus was grauelled, and out of countenance, not knowing where to carpe at him, ſaue at the laſt, he gaue a glaunce at his patience towards his wife.
1605, Francis Bacon, “The First Booke”Here, glance means a brief, critical hint or comment.
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22
noununcountableabbreviationellipsis
Short for glance coal. Use it for a hard, shiny kind of coal.
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23
nouncountable or uncountable
A shiny, mostly dark mineral made of metal joined with sulfur.
Like a rock that shines like polished metal.
The cabinet held a lump of glance with a bright metallic shine.
Each glance in the collection caught the light like polished steel.
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24
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To quickly touch a parent's side, usually to eat its slime, said of some young fish.
The baby cichlids glance against their mother's side to feed.
Tiny young fish glanced along the parent's side all through the day.
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25
nouncountable
A quick touch of a parent's side by some young fish, usually to eat its slime.
Each glance lets the young fish take a mouthful of the parent's mucus.
A single glance against the mother's side can last less than a second.
26
verb
To make a bright light flash from something.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–21, 24–25

This word comes from a Late Middle English verb 'glenchen', meaning to strike a blow at an angle or to turn quickly aside. It mixed two Old French words, one meaning 'to slide or slip' (from a word for ice) and one meaning 'to avoid or change direction'.

Meanings 22–23

This word comes from Late Middle English 'glaunce', borrowed from a Middle High German word 'glanz' meaning a gleam, glitter, or sparkle.