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glance 1 (glăns)
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v. glanced, glanc·ing, glanc·es
v.intr.
1.
a. To direct the eyes at or toward something briefly: glanced in the rearview mirror.
b. To read quickly or in cursory fashion: glanced at the menu.
2.
a. To strike a surface at such an angle as to be deflected: A pebble glanced off the windshield.
b. To shine over or through something at an angle: The sun glanced through the leaves.
c. To be reflected, especially in flashes: sunlight glanced off the water.
3. To make a passing reference; touch briefly: a history course that only glanced at the Korean conflict.
v.tr.
1. To strike (a surface) at an angle; graze: The arrow glanced the target but didn't stick. See Synonyms at brush1.
2. To cause to strike a surface at an angle: glanced a stone off the wall.
n.
1. A brief or cursory look: gave the paper a glance before breakfast.
2. A quick flash of light; a gleam.
3. An oblique movement following impact; a deflection: The car struck the barrier and went off at a glance.
Idiom:
at first glance
On initial consideration: At first glance the plan seemed unworkable.

[Middle English glauncen, alteration (influenced by glenten, to shine) of glacen, from Old French glacer, to slide; see GLACIS.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
glance 2 (glăns)
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n.
Any of various minerals that have a brilliant luster: silver glance.

[German Glanz, from Middle High German glanz, from Old High German, bright; see ghel-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.