glance

Everyday

1. To glance is to look at something very quickly and then look away. tree →
2. A glance is a quick look. tree →
3. To glance off something is to hit it at an angle and bounce away to the side. tree →

In the lessons

In stories a glance shows a character noticing something fast, often secretly or nervously; «exchange glances» means two people look at each other to share a feeling without words. «At a glance» means you can see or understand it straight away, as with a chart in maths. In safety, drivers and cyclists glance in mirrors and over their shoulders. Phrases: glance at, glance up, glance around, a quick glance, at first glance.

Examples

• She glanced at the clock and saw she was late for school. tree →
• Tom took a quick glance at his notes before the spelling test. tree →
• At a glance, the bar chart shows that more children walk to school than ride. tree →
• The twins exchanged a glance and tried not to laugh. tree →
• Glance over your shoulder before you change lanes on your bike. tree →
• The ball glanced off the goalpost and went wide. tree →
• At first glance the puzzle looked easy, but it was tricky. tree →
• He glanced up from his book when the door opened. tree →
• He glanced up and what did he see? tree →

Note

Regular verb: glanced, glancing. «Glance at» something, not «glance on». Do not confuse with «glimpse»: you glance (you choose to look quickly), but you catch a glimpse (you see something briefly, often by chance). «At first glance» warns that the first idea may be wrong.