mirror
Americannoun
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a reflecting surface, originally of polished metal but now usually of glass with a silvery, metallic, or amalgam backing.
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such a surface set into a frame, attached to a handle, etc., for use in viewing oneself or as an ornament.
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any reflecting surface, as the surface of calm water under certain lighting conditions.
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Optics. a surface that is either plane, concave, or convex and that reflects rays of light.
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something that gives a minutely faithful representation, image, or idea of something else.
Gershwin's music was a mirror of its time.
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a pattern for imitation; exemplar.
a man who was the mirror of fashion.
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a glass, crystal, or the like, used by magicians, diviners, etc.
verb (used with object)
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to reflect in or as if in a mirror.
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to reflect as a mirror does.
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to mimic or imitate (something) accurately.
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to be or give a faithful representation, image, or idea of.
Her views on politics mirror mine completely.
adjective
idioms
noun
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a surface, such as polished metal or glass coated with a metal film, that reflects light without diffusion and produces an image of an object placed in front of it
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such a reflecting surface mounted in a frame
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any reflecting surface
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a thing that reflects or depicts something else
the press is a mirror of public opinion
verb
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An object that causes light or other radiation to be reflected from its surface, with little or no diffusion. Common mirrors consist of a thin sheet or film of metal, such as silver, behind or covering a glass pane. Mirrors are used extensively in telescopes, microscopes, lasers, fiber optics, measuring instruments, and many other devices.
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See more at reflection
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has mirroredperfect 3rd person singular
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have mirroredperfect
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am mirroringprogressive 1st person singular
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has been mirroringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been mirroringperfect progressive
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are mirroringprogressive
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mirroringparticiple
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mirrorssingular 3rd person
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is mirroringprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had mirroredperfect
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was mirroringprogressive singular
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mirroredsimple
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were mirroringprogressive plural
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mirroredparticiple
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had been mirroringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mirror
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English mirour, from Old French mireo(u)r, equivalent to mir(er) “to look at” + -eo(u)r, from Latin -ātor, noun suffix of agency; see mirage, see -ator
Explanation
A mirror is a glass surface backed with a metallic coating that reflects images that are in front of it. When you gaze at yourself in a mirror, your own face gazes right back at you. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" asks the evil queen in "Snow White," as she admires her reflection. Ordinary mirrors can't answer this question, but they can show you how you look in your new hat or whether you have spinach between your teeth. And the verb mirror means "reflect," as when the surface of a lake mirrors the sky.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1961, when World War II was in the rearview mirror, Britain applied to join what’s now called the European Union.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Like a cracked mirror, they reflect other trends in British society, including lacklustre income growth, inequality and the boom in online shopping.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Maybe with “Cars” safely in the rearview mirror, and me having just exhausted my one bad pun per story with this sentence, Pixar can return to consistent greatness.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
Yet another remarkable milestone is in the rearview mirror.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
I caught sight of our lineup in a three-sided mirror and didn’t recognize myself until I saw the green wool bathing suit.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
