mirror

[mir-er]

noun

1. a reflecting surface, originally of polished metal but now usually of glass with a silvery, metallic, or amalgam backing.

2. such a surface set into a frame, attached to a handle, etc., for use in viewing oneself or as an ornament.

3. any reflecting surface, as the surface of calm water under certain lighting conditions.

4. Optics.,  a surface that is either plane, concave, or convex and that reflects rays of light.

5. something that gives a minutely faithful representation, image, or idea of something else.

   Gershwin's music was a mirror of its time.

6. a pattern for imitation; exemplar.

   a man who was the mirror of fashion.

   Synonyms: paradigm, epitome, model

7. a glass, crystal, or the like, used by magicians, diviners, etc.

verb (used with object)

1. to reflect in or as if in a mirror.

2. to reflect as a mirror does.

3. to mimic or imitate (something) accurately.

4. to be or give a faithful representation, image, or idea of.

   Her views on politics mirror mine completely.

adjective

1. Music.,  (of a canon or fugue) capable of being played in retrograde or in inversion, as though read in a mirror placed beside or below the music.

mirror

/ ˈmɪrə /

noun

1. 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

2. such a reflecting surface mounted in a frame

3. any reflecting surface

4. a thing that reflects or depicts something else

   the press is a mirror of public opinion

verb

1. (tr) to reflect, represent, or depict faithfully

   he mirrors his teacher's ideals

mirror

1. 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.

2. See more at reflection

Other Word Forms

• mirrorlike adjective
• unmirrored adjective
• mirror-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mirror¹

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; mirage, -ator

Word History and Origins

Origin of mirror¹

C13: from Old French from mirer to look at, from Latin mīrārī to wonder at

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. with mirrors, by or as if by magic.

Example Sentences

In its review, the Journal mirrored the industry’s practice of relying on crew reports of specific odors and associated maintenance reports.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

If anything, he turned Sunday’s match into a mirror image of the Wimbledon final where Sinner had been the one in command all afternoon.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

After all, simply making the backward route a mirror image of the forward one would be boring.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

In development are “smart mirrors” that use sensors, displays and software to monitor changes in appearance, mood or vital signs while patients are brushing their teeth and getting ready for the day.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Above ground it is a low-slung angular wisp of an object, whose cladding in mirrored steel deprives it of any sense of form or substance.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• depict 
• echo 
• embody 
• epitomize 
• exemplify 
• follow 
• illustrate 
• imitate 
• mimic 
• personify 
• represent 
• symbolize 
• typify