glance

UK: /ˈglɑːns/ US: /glæns/ ,(glans, gläns)

Inflections of 'glance' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

glances

v 3rd person singular

glancing

v pres p

glanced

v past

glanced

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

glance¹ /glæns/   v., glanced, glanc•ing, n. 
v. 

1. to look quickly or briefly:
   [~ + at] She glanced at the TV screen.
2. to look at or through something briefly and quickly: [~ + through + object]
   She barely glanced through the newspaper.
   [~ + over + object]
   I glanced over the homework.
3. to gleam or flash;
   shine brightly:
   [~ + on/off + object] The sun glanced on the window.
4. to strike a surface or object indirectly, esp. so as to bounce off at an angle:
   [~ + off + object] The arrow glanced off his shield.

n. [countable]

5. a quick or brief look:
   loving glances.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

glance¹  (glans, gläns), v., glanced, glanc•ing, n. 
v.i. 

1. to look quickly or briefly.
2. to gleam or flash:
   a silver brooch glancing in the sunlight.
3. to strike a surface or object obliquely, esp. so as to bounce off at an angle (often fol. by off ):
   The arrow glanced off his shield.
4. to allude briefly to a topic or subject in passing (usually fol. by at).

v.t. [Archaic.]

5. to cast a glance or brief look at;
   catch a glimpse of.
6. to cast or reflect, as a gleam.
7. to throw, hit, kick, shoot, etc. (something) so that it glances off a surface or object.

n. 

8. a quick or brief look.
9. a gleam or flash of light, esp. reflected light.
10. a deflected movement or course;
    an oblique rebound.
11. a passing reference or allusion;
    insinuation.
12. [Cricket.] a stroke in which the batsman deflects the ball with the bat, as to leg.

• Latin glaciāre to freeze. See glacé
• Old French glacier to slip, slide
• 1400–50; late Middle English glancen (verb, verbal), nasalized variant (perh. influenced by obsolete glent; see glint) of Middle English glacen to strike a glancing blow

Synonyms

• 2. glisten, scintillate. See flash. 
• 3. reflect, ricochet.
• 9. glitter.

glance²  (glans, gläns), n. 

1. Mineralogy any of various minerals having a luster that indicates a metallic nature.

• German Glanz brightness, luster
• 1795–1805

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

glance / ɡlɑːns/ verb

1. (intransitive) to look hastily or briefly
2. (intr; followed by over, through, etc) to look over briefly: to glance through a report
3. (intransitive) to reflect, glint, or gleam: the sun glanced on the water
4. (intransitive) usually followed by off: to depart (from an object struck) at an oblique angle: the arrow glanced off the tree
5. (transitive) to strike at an oblique angle: the arrow glanced the tree

noun

1. a hasty or brief look; peep
2. a flash or glint of light; gleam
3. the act or an instance of an object glancing or glancing off another
4. a brief allusion or reference

Etymology: 15th Century: modification of glacen to strike obliquely, from Old French glacier to slide (see glacis); compare Middle English glenten to make a rapid sideways movement, glint

ˈglancing adjective

USAGE
Glance is sometimes wrongly used where glimpse is meant: he caught a glimpse (not glance) of her making her way through the crowd

glance / ɡlɑːns/ noun

1. any mineral having a metallic lustre, esp a simple sulphide

Etymology: 19th Century: from German Glanz brightness, lustre