GLANCE

v. & n. --v. 1 intr. (often foll. by down, up, etc.) cast a momentary look (glanced up at the sky). 2 intr. (often foll. by off) (esp. of a weapon) glide or bounce (off an object). 3 intr. (usu. foll. by over, off, from) (of talk or a talker) pass quickly over a subject or subjects (glanced over the question of payment). 4 intr. (of a bright object or light) flash, dart, or gleam; reflect (the sun glanced off the knife). 5 tr. (esp. of a weapon) strike (an object) obliquely. 6 tr. Cricket deflect (the ball) with an oblique stroke. --n. 1 (usu. foll. by at, into, over, etc.) a brief look (took a glance at the paper; threw a glance over her shoulder). 2 a a flash or gleam (a glance of sunlight). b a sudden movement producing this. 3 a swift oblique movement or impact. 4 Cricket a stroke with the bat's face turned slantwise to deflect the ball. øat a glance immediately upon looking. glance at 1 give a brief look at. 2 make a passing and usu. sarcastic allusion to. glance one's eye (foll. by at, over, etc.) look at briefly (esp. a document). glance over (or through) read cursorily. øøglancingly adv. [ME glence etc., prob. a nasalized form of obs. glace in the same sense, f. OF glacier to slip: see GLACIS]