glimpse

Meanings

Plural: glimpse, glimpsed, glimpses

Noun

• a quick look
• a brief or incomplete view
  • "from the window he could catch a glimpse of the lake"
• a vague indication
  • "he caught only a glimpse of the professor's meaning"
• Chiefly followed by of: a brief and incomplete look.
• A brief, sudden flash of light; a glimmer.
• A faint or imprecise idea; an inkling.
• A brief, unspecified amount of time; a moment.
• A faint (and often temporary) appearance; a tinge.

Verb

• catch a glimpse of or see briefly
  • "We glimpsed the Queen as she got into her limousine"
• To see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely.
• To perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely.
• Chiefly followed by at or upon: to look at briefly and incompletely; to glance.
• To shine with a faint, unsteady light; to glimmer, to shimmer.
• To appear or start to appear, especially faintly or unclearly; to dawn.
• Sometimes followed by out: to provide a brief and incomplete look.

Synonyms

bat of an eye, bit, blink of an eye, coruscate, coup d'oeil, crack, eyeblink, flash, gander, glance, gleam, glimmer, glimpse, glisten, glitter, half a mo, hint, instant, jiff, jiffy, jot, luster, minute, mo, moment, New York minute, New York second, no time, peek, sec, second, sheen, shimmer, shine, span, sparkle, split-second, spurt, stound, tick, trace, trice, twink, twinkle, twinkling, while