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
The author highlights a memorable sequence in “Purple Noon” in which Delon’s character steals another man’s clothing and impersonates him in the mirror.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
Each pulse underwent four reflections in total, with one mirror focusing the X-rays vertically and the other horizontally.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 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
I’m about to dial again when a flash of yellow in the review mirror catches my attention.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
“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
Their solution was to confine a continuous laser beam inside a spherical chamber lined with mirrors.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
I spray his mirrors and wipe them down so they’re sparkling clean.
From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist
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 schisms at Westish are mirrored in Pella’s deteriorating relationship with Mike, which collapses during Owen’s glitzy destination wedding on Block Island, R.I.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
The panic on the screen is mirrored in the living room.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
He had become notorious for an uncanny impersonation of Patrick Mahomes—wearing the three-time Super Bowl winner’s number, copying his haircut, and mirroring his sidearm throws—but he couldn’t match his ability to win football games.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Mike Trout could not stop smiling, mirroring the optimism and goodwill at Angel Stadium on the day Stan Kroenke announced a deal to buy the Angels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 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
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
I keep drawing, mapping space, mirroring row upon row.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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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.
