mirror

American  

[mir-er] / ˈmɪr ər /

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.

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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.

idioms

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

mirror British  

/ 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

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verb

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

   he mirrors his teacher's ideals

mirror Scientific  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• mirror-like adjective
• mirrorlike adjective
• unmirrored adjective

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; mirage, -ator

Example Sentences

The transport ministry described the incidents as "suspected sabotage" and said they mirrored vandalism at the start of the Paris Olympics in 2024.

From BBC

As one Liverpool source said: "Both would see the improvements when they look in the mirror."

From BBC

Winning the Lewis also is as familiar to Baffert as looking in the mirror and seeing white hair.

From Los Angeles Times

The decline in lead found in hair closely mirrors the reduction of lead in gasoline after the EPA was created under President Richard Nixon.

From Science Daily

The Ministry of Transport called the incidents an act of "serious sabotage", which they said mirrored vandalism during the Paris Olympics in 2024.

From BBC

Related Words

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