mirror
Americannoun
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mirrors
plural
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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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mirrors,
present (3rd person singular)
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mirrored,
past participle, past
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mirroring
present participle
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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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mirrorsimple
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mirrorssimple
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have mirroredperfect
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has mirroredperfect
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am mirroringprogressive
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are mirroringprogressive
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is mirroringprogressive
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have been mirroringperfect progressive
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has been mirroringperfect progressive
Past
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mirroredsimple
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had mirroredperfect
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was mirroringprogressive
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were mirroringprogressive
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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.
See Examples For:
Machines might have replaced forms of human labor but they didn’t try to mirror human emotion and thought.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
“They largely mirror image and assume the U.S. political system works like theirs.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
“The first thing that I did was to look to the archive and it was really exciting to see the Fendi Baguette, with the mirror, with all the other embroidery that I remember so well.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
An object is chiral when its mirror image cannot be perfectly aligned with the original.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
I splash water on my face and then take a long look at myself in the cracked mirror on the wall.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
It consists of two exceptionally precise mirrors that focus the beam in different directions.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026
“While the existing residence carries undeniable charm, character, and a joyful spirit that mirrors Simmons’ distinctive personality, the true value lies in the land itself,” she says.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
This effort mirrors similar ones supported by tribes that have federal recognition to limit the say of tribes without it in recent years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Maybe you’re craving another doc that will turn itself inside-out, revealing an underbelly of broken mirrors.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
As Shukra walked toward them, Aru noticed that there were five mirrors floating around him.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
So much of what has happened in Brazil has mirrored what has happened in the United States and vice versa.
From Slate ● Nov. 9, 2026
"We also showed that these anatomical differences are mirrored by distinct gene expression patterns."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
To Rael, that impulse is mirrored by the political system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
The whole journey—from military technology to civilian infrastructure and now global vulnerability—is neatly mirrored in the military’s own training curriculum.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The two workmen made identical movements, and Harry mirrored them without conscious thought: All three of them drew their wands.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
The benchmark Dutch TTF contract is down 3.7% to 96.59 euros a megawatt-hour, mirroring a fall in oil prices as traders assess fresh U.S. efforts to revive peace negotiations with Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
A hubbub filled the room, bathed in pink-red light, mirroring the party's red rose emblem.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Tesla plans to initially deploy a small number of Model Y crossover SUVs in Clark County, mirroring a strategy it’s employed in Texas, Florida and California.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Meeting fellow creatives who looked like me gave me a sense of validation, mirroring what Celia Cruz did for me in adolescence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
I say, mirroring him by folding my arms.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
