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
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:
In their own madcap way, Dino and Jer epitomized Cicero’s notion that comedy is the imitation of life, the mirror of custom and the image of truth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Such was their success rate some thought telepathy actually was at work - but the pair later revealed there was a mirror in the studio and they could see the other's cards.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Much like a person's left and right hands mirror one another but cannot be perfectly superimposed, many biological structures have a preferred orientation.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Holy relics employed in the proceedings line one wall, another features a one-way mirror that allows family members and novice exorcists to observe.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 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
Hoell and his colleagues analyzed nearly four decades of El Niño and La Niña oscillations and wildfire burn areas to understand how often the fire season mirrors the climate cycle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
That mirrors the pattern of industries such as smartphones, electric vehicles and batteries, which emerged in the West only for China to seize dominant market share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
I will be looking in my mirrors tomorrow.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
The inciting accident itself closely mirrors the Chappaquiddick incident.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
“Now I live surrounded by the memory of my mistakes,” he said, gesturing at the mirrors that accompanied him.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Substantial double-arch sliding glass doors that pocket into walls are mirrored on east and west walls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
But on Monday US technology stocks advanced and this was mirrored in Asian trade on Tuesday, helping Japan's Nikkei rise 1.75 percent and the Kospi in Seoul 3.6 percent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Pan-African hairdressing is mirrored in another collection of works, many of which take their name from the places or ethnic groups that use the styles mirrored in the sculptures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Its rapid growth is being mirrored across Europe, its rise aided by easing perceptions of it as a strictly discount grocer as shoppers became increasingly impressed by the quality of its products.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The diary is covered in purple and red silk, decorated with small sequins and bits of mirrored glass sewn in.
From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani
It is about the passing of specific legislation, mirroring the US ban on products that have used forced labour in supply chains.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
But mirroring overnight gains on the Nasdaq, Asia tech stocks rose for a second straight day, with Tokyo up almost two percent and semiconductor-heavy Seoul soaring 5.4 percent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
He always refused, the restaurant’s humility always mirroring the man behind it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Male heartthrobs are increasingly fluid, mirroring a new demographic reality.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
She pointed to her own cheeks, mirroring where his tattoo spread.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
