glance

glance¹ W3 [gla:ns US glæns] v [I always + adverb/preposition]

[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: Perhaps from glent 'to move quickly, shine' (13-19 centuries)]

1.) to quickly look at someone or something

glance at/up/down etc

▪ The man glanced nervously at his watch.

▪ Wyatt glanced around the restaurant.

▪ Emily glanced over her shoulder.

2.) to read something very quickly

glance at/through etc

▪ Can you glance through these figures for me?

glance off () [glance off (sth)] phr v

1.) to hit a surface at an angle and then move away from it in another direction

▪ The bullet had crushed his helmet and glanced off.

2.) literary if light glances off a surface, it flashes or shines back from it

▪ The sun was glancing off the icy tips of gleaming rock.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

WORD CHOICE: glance, glimpse

glance (verb) means 'to look quickly and deliberately' and a glance is the act of quickly looking at someone or something : I glanced at my watch. | She gave me an amused glance.

glimpse (verb) means 'to see something or someone by chance for a very short time' and a glimpse is a sight that you see by chance for a very short time : I glimpsed someone behind the curtain. | We got a glimpse of her face as she hurried past.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

glance ²

glance² W3 n

1.) a quick look

▪ He gave her a quick glance and smiled.

sidelong/sideways glance

▪ She couldn't resist a sidelong glance (=a look that is not direct) at him.

take/shoot/throw/cast a glance (at sb)

(=look at someone or something quickly)

▪ The couple at the next table cast quick glances in our direction.

▪ The brothers exchanged glances (=looked at each other quickly) .

2.) at a glance

a) if you know something at a glance, you know it as soon as you see it

▪ He saw at a glance what had happened.

b) in a short form that is easy to read and understand

▪ Here are our top ten ski resorts at a glance.

3.) at first glance/sight

when you first look at something

▪ At first glance, the place seemed deserted.