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askance

adv
/əˈskæns/UK/əˈskæns/US

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly from Middle English askances (“as if”), or from Old French a escone (“hidden”) or Italian a scancio (“obliquely”). Compare asquint, Middle English askoyn (“at a slant, askance”), Dutch schuin, schuins (“sideways”), schuiven (“to shove”), schuinte (“slope”).

  1. derived from a scancio
  2. derived from a escone

Definitions

  1. With disapproval, skepticism, or suspicion.

    • The beggar asked for change, but the haughty woman only looked at him askance.
    • The scandal of opposition died down, and the stone-carver himself, though the town-folk continued to eye him askance, was able to secure other work through the favor of discriminating patrons.
    • Both […] were viewed askance by authority.

  2. Sideways

    Sideways; obliquely.

    • I glanced askance at this strange creature, and found him watching me with his queer, restless eyes.
    • ...the head-stones in the grave-yard beneath seemed to be holding themselves askance to keep it out of their faces.

  3. Turned to the side, especially of the eyes.

    • My first thought was, he lied in every word, That hoary cripple, with malicious eye Askance to watch the working of his lie
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. To look at (someone or something) with a sideways glance.

      • Bowed heads, Aunt Ellen's, Aunt Laura's, her sister's — bowed but askancing her yellow dress — yes, yellow, golden yellow, hue of sun and life, Dad's favorite, to see him off on this, his greatest journey.

    2. To turn (one's eye or gaze) to the side.

      • The pope askanced his eye at Michael with displeasure, and after a short pause saluted him, " Instead of your coming to us, you seem to have expected that we should attend upon you."

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for askance. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA