mirror: Meaning and Definition of

mir•ror

Pronunciation: (mir'ur), [key]
— n.
  1. a reflecting surface, originally of polished metal but now usually of glass with a silvery, metallic, or amalgam backing.
  2. such a surface set into a frame, attached to a handle, etc., for use in viewing oneself or as an ornament.
  3. any reflecting surface, as the surface of calm water under certain lighting conditions.
  4. a surface that is either plane, concave, or convex and that reflects rays of light.
  5. something that gives a minutely faithful representation, image, or idea of something else: Gershwin's music was a mirror of its time.
  6. a pattern for imitation; exemplar: a man who was the mirror of fashion.
  7. a glass, crystal, or the like, used by magicians, diviners, etc.
  8. by or as if by magic.
—v.t.
  1. to reflect in or as if in a mirror.
  2. to reflect as a mirror does.
  3. to mimic or imitate (something) accurately.
  4. to be or give a faithful representation, image, or idea of: Her views on politics mirror mine completely.
—adj.
  1. (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.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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