glances

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of glance.

   Quick glances toward the exit gave away how eager they were to leave.

   The lawyers exchanged knowing glances as the witness contradicted himself.

   Note

   One spoken syllable longer than the singular: because the stem ends in a hissing sound, the plural is said with an extra /ɪz/, while the spelling adds only -s to the silent -e. The plural belongs to the countable uses of glance, so it can mean several quick looks, flashes of light, a batter's angled strokes, or the rapid touches young cichlids make against a parent's side.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of glance.

   The waiter glances at each table to see who needs attention.

   Whenever the door opens, the dog glances up hopefully.

   Note

   Here the -s marks agreement with he, she or it, and it shares the spelling and the extra syllable of the plural noun. The construction depends on the meaning. In the looking sense it usually takes at (she glances at the clock). It can also take a direct object when the idea is turning or deflecting: someone glances their eyes toward the door, or a batter glances the ball away.

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