Glance
/ɡlæns/noun
To look quickly or briefly at something; a quick, brief look.
Did you know?In older English, related forms of this root could carry the sense of a sudden slip or a swift gleam, so the word’s energy is literally about instant motion and flash.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*glan- / *glent-
“to shine, flash, or move swiftly”
Old English
OE
glencan
“to deceive, trip up, or make someone slip”
Middle English
ME
glancen
“to dart, flash, or move quickly”
15th Century
English
glance
“a sudden, quick movement or flash; later, a brief look”
Modern English
English
glance
“to look briefly or swiftly at something”