glance

1 verb (intransitive always + adv/prep)

1 to quickly look at someone or something once

(+ at/towards/up etc): He glanced nervously at his watch. | Nadine glanced round to see if there was anyone that she knew.

2 (+ at/over etc): Can you glance through these figures and tell me what you think of them?

3 to flash: light glancing on the water

glance off phrasal verb (I, T) to hit a surface at an angle and then move away from it in another direction: The bullet glanced off the side of the car. USAGE NOTE: GLANCE WORD CHOICE: glance, have/take a quick look, glimpse, catch/get a glimpse of If you glance at something, you look at it quickly: After the first ten minutes the interviewer started yawning and glancing at his watch. In spoken English you often use have/take a (quick) look, especially to check if something is correct or working properly: Could you just have a quick look at the engine for me? If you glimpse (or more commonly catch/get a glimpse of) someone or something, you see them by chance, for a very short time: I can't describe him well, I only caught a glimpse of him as he drove off. 2 noun (C)

1 a quick look: give/take/shoot/throw a glance (at) (=look at someone or something quickly): He gave her a quick glance as she walked into the room. | exchange glances (=look at each other quickly)

2 at a glance if you know something at a glance, you know it as soon as you see it: He'll be able to tell if the diamonds are genuine at a glance.

3 at first glance when you first look at something: At first glance the place seemed deserted.