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.
verb (used with object)
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.
adjective
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 for mirror
with mirrors, by or as if by magic.
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
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.
A devastating picture of Trump’s coronavirus response — from a firsthand witness|Aaron Blake|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
My thoughts on Malcolm X mirrored those of Laurence Fishburne.
How Laurence Fishburne Gave Voice To ‘The Autobiography Of Malcolm X’|Joi-Marie McKenzie|September 17, 2020|Essence.com
If you look at yourself from the side in a full-length mirror, check out how much your lower back curves.
The best thing for back pain is actually more movement|Sara Chodosh|September 16, 2020|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.
Cincinnati’s Secret Sauce to Help Minority Businesses Succeed|Nick Fouriezos|September 15, 2020|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.
A sobering breakdown of severe COVID-19 cases shows young adults can’t dismiss it|Erin Garcia de Jesus|September 9, 2020|Science News
In it, he finds a large mirror, and when he looks into the mirror, he sees his parents standing behind him.
During Advent, Lots of Waiting, But Not Enough Hope|Gene Robinson|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He runs to find his friend Ron to show him his parents in the mirror.
During Advent, Lots of Waiting, But Not Enough Hope|Gene Robinson|December 7, 2014|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.
During Advent, Lots of Waiting, But Not Enough Hope|Gene Robinson|December 7, 2014|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.
Is Bigger Better for St. Vincent?|David Yaffe|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The queen rejoiced, went home, and asked the mirror: “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who in this land is the fairest of all?”
In New Brothers Grimm 'Snow White', The Prince Doesn't Save Her|The Brothers Grimm|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lady Cecilia rose from the bed, advanced towards the mirror, and smoothed her hair.
The Mysteries of London, v. 1/4|George W. M. Reynolds
And so his crown was all a mirror—clear, bright, beautiful, but mirroring a looking-glass soul.
Sunday-School Success|Amos R. Wells
If art "holds the mirror up to nature" this art's mirror is the largest of all, the most used.
Our Androcentric Culture, or The Man Made World|Charlotte Perkins Gilman
I will only say that I repeated again the experiments with the mirror, sometimes with success, sometimes without.
Great Ghost Stories|Various
The more you look at this optical being moving there behind the mirror, the more remarkable the image appears to you.
Mysterious Psychic Forces|Camille Flammarion
British Dictionary definitions for mirror
mirror
/ (ˈmɪrə) /
noun
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 elsethe press is a mirror of public opinion
verb
(tr)to reflect, represent, or depict faithfullyhe mirrors his teacher's ideals
Derived forms of mirror
mirror-like, adjective
Word Origin for mirror
C13: from Old French from mirer to look at, from Latin mīrārī to wonder at
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.