Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language

1. (n.) A single occurrence or example.

2. (n.) The act or quality of being instant or pressing; urgency; solicitation; application; suggestion; motion.

3. (n.) That which is instant or urgent; motive.

4. (n.) That which offers itself or is offered as an illustrative case; something cited in proof or exemplification; a case occurring; an example.

5. (n.) A token; a sign; a symptom or indication.

6. (v. t.) To mention as a case or example; to refer to; to cite; as, to instance a fact.

7. (v. i.) To give an example.