Adjacent Words

Mirror definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MIR'ROR, n. [L. miror, to admire.]
1. A looking glass; any glass or polished substance that forms images by the reflection of rays of light.
In the clear mirror of thy ruling star
I saw, alas! some dread event depend.
2. A pattern; an exemplar; that on which men ought to fix their eyes; that which gives a true representation, or in which a true image may be seen.
O goddess, heavenly bright,
Mirror of grace and majesty divine.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
2: a faithful depiction or reflection; "the best mirror is an old friend" v
1: reflect as if in a mirror; "The smallest pond at night mirrors the firmament above"
2: reflect or resemble; "The plane crash in Milan mirrored the attack in the World Trade Center"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English mirour, from Anglo-French mirur, from mirer to look at, from Latin mirari to wonder at Date: 13th century 1. a polished or smooth surface (as of glass) that forms images by reflection 2. a. something that gives a true representation b. an exemplary model • mirrored adjective • mirrorlike adjective II. transitive verb Date: 1593 1. to reflect in or as if in a mirror 2. resemble

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a polished surface, usu. of amalgam-coated glass or metal, which reflects an image; a looking-glass. 2 anything regarded as giving an accurate reflection or description of something else. --v.tr. reflect as in a mirror. Phrases and idioms: mirror carp a breed of carp with large shiny scales. mirror finish a reflective surface. mirror image an identical image, but with the structure reversed, as in a mirror. mirror symmetry symmetry as of an object and its reflection. mirror writing backwards writing, like ordinary writing reflected in a mirror. Etymology: ME f. OF mirour ult. f. L mirare look at

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mirror Mir"ror, n. [OE. mirour, F. miroir, OF. also mireor, fr. (assumed) LL. miratorium, fr. mirare to look at, L. mirari to wonder. See Marvel, and cf. Miracle, Mirador.] 1. A looking-glass or a speculum; any glass or polished substance that forms images by the reflection of rays of light. And in her hand she held a mirror bright, Wherein her face she often view[`e]d fair. --Spenser. 2. That which gives a true representation, or in which a true image may be seen; hence, a pattern; an exemplar. She is mirour of all courtesy. --Chaucer. O goddess, heavenly bright, Mirror of grace and majesty divine. --Spenser. 3. (Zo["o]l.) See Speculum. Mirror carp (Zo["o]l.), a domesticated variety of the carp, having only three or fur rows of very large scales side. Mirror plate. (a) A flat glass mirror without a frame. (b) Flat glass used for making mirrors. Mirror writing, a manner or form of backward writing, making manuscript resembling in slant and order of letters the reflection of ordinary writing in a mirror. The substitution of this manner of writing for the common manner is a symptom of some kinds of nervous disease.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mirror Mir"ror, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mirrored; p. pr. & vb. n. Mirroring.] To reflect, as in a mirror.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(mirrors, mirroring, mirrored) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A mirror is a flat piece of glass which reflects light, so that when you look at it you can see yourself reflected in it. He absent-mindedly looked at himself in the mirror... N-COUNT • mirrored ...a mirrored ceiling. ADJ 2. If something mirrors something else, it has similar features to it, and therefore seems like a copy or representation of it. The book inevitably mirrors my own interests and experiences... = reflect VERB: V n 3. If you see something reflected in water, you can say that the water mirrors it. (LITERARY) ...the sudden glitter where a newly-flooded field mirrors the sky... = reflect VERB: V n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mir'er.

See LOOKING-GLASS.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Reflector, looking-glass. 2. Speculum. 3. Pattern, model, exemplar, example, prototype, archetype, paragon. II. v. a. Reflect.

Moby Thesaurus

acme, act like, adumbrate, affect, antetype, antitype, ape, apotheosis, appear like, approach, approximate, archetype, assume, be like, be redolent of, bear resemblance, beau ideal, best type, biotype, body forth, borrow, bring to mind, call to mind, call up, cheval glass, chorus, classic, classic example, come close, come near, compare with, concave mirror, convex mirror, copy, correspond, counterfeit, crib, criterion, cynosure, demonstrate, depict, distorting mirror, ditto, do, do like, echo, ego ideal, emblematize, embody, epitome, epitomize, evoke, example, exemplar, exemplify, fake, favor, figure, follow, foreshadow, forge, fugleman, fugler, genotype, glass, go like, good example, hand mirror, hero, hoke, hoke up, ideal, illustrate, image, imitate, imitatee, impersonate, incarnate, lead, look like, looking glass, make like, man of men, masterpiece, masterwork, match, mimic, mirror image, model, near, nearly reproduce, nonpareil, not tell apart, original, paradigm, paragon, parallel, partake of, pattern, pattern of perfection, personate, personify, picture, pier glass, plagiarize, precedent, prefigure, pretypify, project, prototype, quintessence, realize, rear-view mirror, reecho, reflect, reflection, reflector, remind one of, repeat, replication, represent, representation, representative, reproduce, reproduction, resemble, rule, savor of, seeing glass, seem like, send back, shadow, shadow forth, shaving mirror, shining example, simulate, smack of, sound like, speculum, stack up with, standard, suggest, symbolize, take after, type, type species, type specimen, typify, urtext, very model, window mirror