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:
Just as a person's left and right hands are mirror images that cannot be perfectly aligned, some molecules can exist in two forms that have identical chemical components but different three-dimensional arrangements.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
The “Smart Door Panel” on the driver’s side door consolidates many functions—window, door, seating, mirror adjustment, exterior and interior illumination—into a piano-black panel of haptic switches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Two decades ago, Baron Cohen used his hit film "Borat: Cultural Learnings of American for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" as a sociological mirror to lay bare certain prejudices within US society.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
That freedom from the mirror is core to neoperreo’s mission: The pursuit of a dance floor where your body, and everyone else’s, are besides the point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Dad locks eyes with me in the rearview mirror.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
McKinney isn’t seeking sympathy, but believes sharing his backstory shows he’s “lived a life that mirrors a lot of the adversity Angelenos face every day.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Below, a circle of polished black granite set within green marble mirrors the dome — a reference to Albuquerque’s 1989 public artwork, “Site, Memory, Reflection,” and to the architecture of her Tunisian childhood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Scientists have discovered a surprising ability of light that allows it to develop spinning patterns as it moves through empty space, without relying on special lenses, mirrors, or materials.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
The project, financed almost entirely by Abudu's media group, mirrors the upscale lifestyle complex she launched in Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, in 2019.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
They faced each other like two suns at the center of a solar system consisting entirely of hovering hand mirrors.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
"We also showed that these anatomical differences are mirrored by distinct gene expression patterns."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 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
Paramount traces its roots back 1912 and also boasts more than 100 Oscars for classics spanning from The Godfather to Titanic, though the studio has not mirrored the same recent spate of Hollywood honours.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
The equestrian facility is topped off by a sprawling 20,000-square-foot riding arena with an observation deck and mirrored wall, which the listing notes is suitable for both dressage and jumping.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
It was a circular process: one generation of lawyers hiring new lawyers whose life experience mirrored their own, leaving little room for diversity of any sort.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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
His efforts since taking the helm in the fall have focused on trimming its behemoth portfolio, mirroring moves by rivals in the sector.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Linton glanced at the memo Terryl had handed him and could see now that it was a set of facts and assertions mirroring what Terryl was telling him—an outline of the case.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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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.
