mirror
a reflecting surface, originally of polished metal but now usually of glass with a silvery, metallic, or amalgam backing.
such a surface set into a frame, attached to a handle, etc., for use in viewing oneself or as an ornament.
any reflecting surface, as the surface of calm water under certain lighting conditions.
Optics. a surface that is either plane, concave, or convex and that reflects rays of light.
something that gives a minutely faithful representation, image, or idea of something else: Gershwin's music was a mirror of its time.
a pattern for imitation; exemplar: a man who was the mirror of fashion.
a glass, crystal, or the like, used by magicians, diviners, etc.
to reflect in or as if in a mirror.
to reflect as a mirror does.
to mimic or imitate (something) accurately.
to be or give a faithful representation, image, or idea of: Her views on politics mirror mine completely.
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 about mirror
with mirrors, by or as if by magic.
Origin of mirror
1Other words for mirror
Other words from mirror
- mir·ror·like, adjective
- un·mir·rored, adjective
Words that may be confused with mirror
- mere, mirror
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use mirror in a sentence
The best available data suggests that infection rates in schools simply mirror the prevalence of covid-19 in the surrounding community — and that addressing community spread is where our efforts should be focused.
Schools are not spreading covid-19. This new data explains why. | Emily Oster | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostCar seats and boosters currently have to pass a test that mirrors the forces in a head-on collision.
House Subcommittee Says Proposed Booster Seat Safety Rules Fall Short | by Patricia Callahan | November 19, 2020 | ProPublicaBy the time the novel coronavirus is in the rearview mirror, riders could be encountering a new type of e-scooter, one that picks up safety tools from modern cars.
E-scooters are getting computer vision to curb pedestrian collisions | Dalvin Brown | November 19, 2020 | Washington PostStriving for — and sometimes falling short of — cultural relevance, the museum mirrors the awkward cultural transitions that are taking place on the national stage.
You have until Nov. 22 to visit these six Smithsonian museums. Here’s what to expect. | Kelsey Ables | November 19, 2020 | Washington PostIn fact, the percentage nearly mirrors the number of Americans — at 42 percent — who said climate change would inform their vote this year, according to Pew.
A skull forms through the mirroring of the original image and hovers above the large negative shape.
Fabricating the future on screen has always been a way of mirroring present-day anxieties about technology.
The Daily Pic: Adad Hannah mirrrors the mirroring that happens in Velazquez.
Rousseff, now 62, has lived a wild political life, mirroring the changing fortunes of her country.
Below, the lake lay blue as a sapphire mirroring a sapphire sky.
Mary Gray | Katharine TynanOver the dam it lay in a quiet pool, mirroring every bud and twig.
Wayside Courtships | Hamlin GarlandHe was as smart as usual, his tie a new creation, his hat mirroring the sun.
Tristram of Blent | Anthony HopeThe river was still; the stars came out one by one, and a great planet shone distinct on the mirroring plain.
The Red City | S. Weir MitchellThe river flowed on its way, its glassy surface mirroring the numerous trees along its banks.
The Fourth Watch | H. A. Cody
British Dictionary definitions for mirror
/ (ˈmɪrə) /
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
such a reflecting surface mounted in a frame
any reflecting surface
a thing that reflects or depicts something else: the press is a mirror of public opinion
(tr) to reflect, represent, or depict faithfully: he mirrors his teacher's ideals
Origin of mirror
1Derived forms of mirror
- mirror-like, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for mirror
[ mĭr′ər ]
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. See more at reflection.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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