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

/ mĭr′ər /

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

Derived Forms

• ˈmirror-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• mirror·like adjective
• un·mirrored 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

After a while she couldn't look herself in the mirror because no matter what she did, the President would undermine it and make Americans less safe.

From Washington Post

My thoughts on Malcolm X mirrored those of Laurence Fishburne.

From Essence.com

If you look at yourself from the side in a full-length mirror, check out how much your lower back curves.

From Popular-Science

The MBA strategy has worked so well that it’s been awarded a $450,000 grant from the Kaufman Foundation to build a playbook so other cities can replicate its results, with 20 different cities currently mirroring the Cincinnati model.

From Ozy

Seeing more severe disease in younger adults with underlying conditions mirrors findings from larger populations that include people from other age groups, says Aaron Milstone, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University.

From Science News

With the midterm elections safely in the rearview mirror, Obama is on legacy patrol.

From The Daily Beast

In it, he finds a large mirror, and when he looks into the mirror, he sees his parents standing behind him.

From The Daily Beast

He runs to find his friend Ron to show him his parents in the mirror.

From The Daily Beast

But when Ron looks into the mirror, he sees himself being carried on the shoulders of his teammates, the hero who won the game.

From The Daily Beast

But she is, in her way, holding a mirror up to nature, and objects in this mirror may be closer than they appear.

From The Daily Beast

A child begins to make acquaintance with the images of things when set before a mirror.

From Project Gutenberg

The lady of the roses went to the mirror over the untidy mantel piece, and looked at herself, as she answered.

From Project Gutenberg

A mirror, turned towards an open door, disclosed the lovelorn Hephzibah in the next room.

From Project Gutenberg

She turned her gaze away from the mirror, and saw Sarah's grey head inadvertently nodding, as it always nodded.

From Project Gutenberg

From his waistcoat pocket he took a little silver convex mirror and surveyed himself critically therein.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• glass