I. glimpse 1 /ɡlɪmps/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a quick look at someone or something that does not allow you to see them clearly
glimpse of
They caught a glimpse of a dark green car.
brief/fleeting/quick glimpse (=a very short look)
We only had a fleeting glimpse of the river.
2 . a short experience of something that helps you begin to understand it
glimpse of/into/at
a glimpse of what life might be like in the future
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THESAURUS
▪ look an act of looking at something:
Let me have a look at the map.
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I took a quick look around the room.
▪ glance a quick look at something before looking away again:
Susan cast a quick glance at me (=she looked quickly at me) .
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He could not resist a sidelong glance (=quickly looking to the side) to see what was happening on the other side of the road.
▪ glimpse a short look at someone or something in which you do not see them very clearly:
Fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer as he left the hotel.
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I had only a fleeting glimpse (=a very quick look) of the two men as they ran away.
▪ gaze a long steady look:
Eddie fixed his gaze on the floor.
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She looked up and met his gaze (=looked at him when he was looking at her) .
▪ stare a long direct look, especially in an unfriendly way or in a way that shows you are surprised:
He was watching me with a cold stare.
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My cheery ‘Good Morning’ was met with a blank stare (=a stare which shows no emotion) .
▪ glare an angry look at someone:
She gave him a hostile glare as he entered the room.
▪ frown a confused or annoyed look:
‘Anyway,’ she said with a frown, ‘I don’t see how there could be a connection.’
II. glimpse 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Perhaps from an unrecorded Old English glimsian ]
1 . to see someone or something for a moment without getting a complete view of them SYN catch sight of :
I glimpsed a figure at the window.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people often say catch sight of somebody/something rather than glimpse somebody/something :
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I caught sight of him as he was getting into his car.
2 . to begin to understand something for a moment:
For the first time she glimpsed the truth about her sister.