📖 Meaning
To catch a glimpse of only a small part of something, gaining a fragmentary or partial understanding of a larger whole. It suggests that what is observed is merely a small piece from which one may infer the broader picture, similar to inferring the pattern of a leopard from a single spot.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom traces to 'Gaozi Yishu' (《高子遗书·会语九八》), a collected work of the Ming dynasty scholar Gao Panlong. In the passage, the author reflects that he had long not understood the intellectual lineage of Wang Yangming and Lu Xiangshan's learning, yet while traveling on a boat he seemed to catch a glimpse of one fragment of it. The imagery echoes the classical metaphor of seeing a single spot (斑) on a leopard and inferring the whole beast, conveying the idea of partial insight gained through limited observation.
💡 Example Usage
从这些残存的壁画中，我们可以窥见一斑，想象当年宫殿的辉煌。
From these surviving fragments of murals, we can catch a glimpse of a small part and imagine the former splendor of the palace.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 窥见一斑
- Pinyin: kuī jiàn yī bān
- Literal Translation: peek, see, one, spot
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4