mirror

• mirrour (obsolete), myrrhor (obsolete)

From Middle English mirour, from Old French mireor (“mirror”, literally “looker, watcher”), from mirer (“look at”), from Latin mīror (“wonder at”), from mīrus (“wonderful”), from Proto-Indo-European *smey- (“to laugh, to be glad”). Displaced native Middle English schewere, schawere, from Old English sċēawere (“mirror”, literally “watcher”), which was also the word for "spy".

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪɹə/

  • Audio (Received Pronunciation):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmiɹɚ/, /ˈmɪɹ.ɚ/, /ˈmi.ɚ/, /ˈmɪɹ/

• Audio (California):

  (file)

• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪɹəɹ/, /ˈmɜɹ/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈməɹə/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪɾəɾ/
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪɾə/
• (Indic) IPA^(key): /ˈmɪrə(r)/, /mɪˈrɜ(r)/
• Homophones: mere, myrrh, mur (all in some North American accents only)
• Hyphenation: mir‧ror
• Rhymes: -ɪɹə(ɹ), -ɪə(ɹ), -ɜː(ɹ)

mirror (plural mirrors)

2. A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it.

   Synonyms: glass, looking-glass

   I had a look in the mirror to see if the blood had come off my face.

   He broke the mirror with the pickaxe.

   We could see the lorry in the mirror, so decided to change lanes.

3. (figuratively) An object, person, or event that reflects or gives a picture of another.

   His story is a mirror into the life of orphans growing up.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     O goddess, heavenly bright, / Mirror of grace and majesty divine.

5. (computing, Internet) A website or server that contains replicated data from another site.

   Although the content had been deleted from his blog, it was still found on some mirrors.

6. A mirror carp.
7. (historical) A kind of political self-help book, advising kings, princes, etc. on how to behave.

mirror (third-person singular simple present mirrors, present participle mirroring, simple past and past participle mirrored)

1. (transitive) To reflect, as in a mirror.
2. (transitive) To act as a reflection of, either by being identical to, or by being identical but reversed.

   The placement of the paintings mirrored the positions of the windows on the opposite wall.

3. (transitive) Of an event, activity, behavior, to be identical to; to be a copy of; to imitate closely.

   He tried to mirror Elvis's life by copying his fashion and mannerisms.

4. (transitive, computing, Internet) To create something identical to (a website, etc.).

• cheval glass
• looking glass

Unadapted borrowing from English mirror.

mirror m (plural mirrors)

2. (computing, Internet) mirror (replica of other websites)