glimpse
/ɡlɪmps/
Definition
A quick, brief look at something, or a small amount of something that helps you begin to understand it.
Example
She caught a glimpse of the deer before it ran away.
Show translation
She saw the deer very briefly before it ran away.
Etymology
From Middle English *glimsen* ("to glimmer, shine faintly"), related to Middle Low German *glimsen* and Old English *glæm* ("brightness, gleam"). The sense of "a brief look" emerged in the 16th century, evolving from the idea of a faint flash of light — something seen only for an instant before it disappears.
Cultural note
The phrase "catch a glimpse" is the overwhelmingly natural colocation in everyday English — learners should resist the urge to say "see a glimpse" or "take a glimpse," which sound unnatural. "Glimpse" can also be used as a verb ("I glimpsed her across the room"), making it doubly useful to master.