The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Apercu \A`per`[,c]u"\ ([.a]`p[^a]r`s[.u]"), n.; pl. Aper[,c]us
   (-s[.u]"). [F., prop. p. p. of apercevoir to perceive.]
   1. A first view or glance, or the perception or estimation so
      obtained; an immediate apprehension or insight,
      appreciative rather than analytic.
      [1913 Webster]

            The main object being to develop the several
            aper[,c]us or insights which furnish the method of
            such psychology.                      --W. T.
                                                  Harris.
      [1913 Webster]

            A series of partial and more or less disparate
            aper[,c]us or outlooks; each for itself a center of
            experience.                           --James Ward.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   2. Hence, a brief or detached view; conspectus; sketch.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

apercu
    n 1: a short synopsis

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

88 Moby Thesaurus words for "apercu":
   a priori knowledge, abbreviation, abbreviature, abrege, abridgment,
   abstract, anticipation, article, brief, buddhi, capsule, causerie,
   clairvoyance, compend, condensation, condensed version, conspectus,
   descant, digest, direct apprehension, discourse, discussion,
   disquisition, dissertation, draft, epitome, essay, etude,
   examination, excursus, exposition, feature, first approach, head,
   homily, immediate cognition, insight, inspiration,
   introductory study, intuition, intuitionism, intuitive reason,
   intuitiveness, intuitivism, knowledge without thought, lucubration,
   memoir, monograph, morceau, note, outline, overview, pandect,
   paper, paragraph, piece, precis, precognition, preliminary study,
   prolegomenon, research paper, review, rubric, satori, screed,
   second sight, second-sightedness, shortened version, sixth sense,
   skeleton, sketch, special article, study, subconscious knowledge,
   subconscious perception, survey, syllabus, synopsis, term paper,
   theme, thesis, thumbnail sketch, topical outline, tract, tractate,
   treatise, treatment, unmediated perception