Etymology : Middle English glimsen; akin to Middle High German glimsen to glimmer, Old English gl[AE]m gleam
Pronunciation : 'glim(p)s
Function : verb
Date : 14th century
1. brief view, glance; vague idea; faint light (Archaic). see:
briefly, momentarily catch sight of. glimpse\glimpse\ , n. [for glimse, from the root of glimmer.].
2. a sudden flash; transient luster. light as the lightning glimpse they ran.
3. a short, hurried view; a transitory or fragmentary perception; a quick sight. here hid by shrub wood, there by glimpses seen. rogers.
4. a faint idea; an inkling.glimpse \glimpse\ , v. i. [imp. & p. p. glimpsed ; p. pr. & vb. n. glimpsing.] to appear by glimpses; to catch glimpses.glimpse \glimpse\, v. t. to catch a glimpse of; to see:
by glimpses; to have a short or hurried view of. some glimpsing and no perfect sight.
5. A sudden flash; transient luster.
6. A short, hurried view; a transitory or fragmentary perception; a quick sight.
7. A faint idea; an inkling. to appear by glimpses; to catch glimpses.
8. To catch a glimpse of; to see:
by glimpses; to have a short or hurried view of. 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" catch a glimpse of or see:
briefly; "We glimpsed the Queen as she got into her limousine".
9. 1. If you get a glimpse of someone or something, you see:
them very briefly and not very well. Some of the fans had waited 24 hours outside the Hyde Park Hotel to catch a glimpse of their heroine.
10. If you glimpse someone or something, you see:
them very briefly and not very well. She glimpsed a group of people standing on the bank of a river.
11. A glimpse of something is a brief experience of it or an idea about it that helps you understand or appreciate it better. As university campuses become increasingly multi-ethnic, they offer a glimpse of the conflicts society will face tomorrow. a glimpse into the future.