| English Dictionary |
MIRROR
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does mirror mean?
• MIRROR (noun)
The noun MIRROR has 2 senses:
1. polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
2. a faithful depiction or reflection
Familiarity information: MIRROR used as a noun is rare.
• MIRROR (verb)
The verb MIRROR has 2 senses:
1. reflect as if in a mirror
2. reflect or resemble
Familiarity information: MIRROR used as a verb is rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("mirror" is a kind of...):
reflector (device that reflects radiation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mirror"):
car mirror (a mirror that the driver of a car can use)
cheval glass (a full length mirror mounted in a frame in which it can be tilted)
hand glass; hand mirror (a mirror intended to be held in the hand)
glass; looking glass (a mirror; usually a ladies' dressing mirror)
pier glass; pier mirror (a large mirror between two windows)
speculum (a mirror (especially one made of polished metal) for use in an optical instrument)
Derivation:
mirror (reflect as if in a mirror)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A faithful depiction or reflection
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Context example:
the best mirror is an old friend
Hypernyms ("mirror" is a kind of...):
depicting; depiction; portrayal; portraying (a representation by picture or portraiture)
Derivation:
mirror (reflect as if in a mirror)
| Conjugation: |
... he / she / it mirrors Past simple: mirrored
Past participle: mirrored
-ing form: mirroring
Sense 1
Meaning:
Reflect as if in a mirror
Classified under:
Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering
Context example:
The smallest pond at night mirrors the firmament above
Hypernyms (to "mirror" is one way to...):
reflect; reverberate (to throw or bend back (from a surface))
Sentence frames:
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Derivation:
mirror (polished surface that forms images by reflecting light)
mirror (a faithful depiction or reflection)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Reflect or resemble
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Context example:
The plane crash in Milan mirrored the attack in the World Trade Center
Hypernyms (to "mirror" is one way to...):
reflect (give evidence of the quality of)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s something
Context examples
Almost as soon as it shone upon the oyster-shell frame of my mirror I was out of bed, and out with little Em'ly, picking up stones upon the beach.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
An object or molecule that is superimposable on its mirror image.
(Achiral, NCI Thesaurus)
As I went upstairs after dinner, two of the young men were settling their hats before the hall mirror, and I heard one say low to the other, "Who's the new party?"
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
A question about whether an individual checks or has checked their appearance using a mirror whenever they can.
(Check My Appearance in Mirror Whenever, NCI Thesaurus)
An object or molecule that is not superimposable on its mirror image.
(Chiral, NCI Thesaurus)
Recent work has revealed that ILCs and T cells mirror each other in their subclasses, which are defined by the kinds of cytokines they produce.
(Rapid-response immune cells are fully prepared before invasion strikes, NIH)
This can happen, for example, when light bounces off a reflective surface like a mirror or the sea.
(Planck Takes Magnetic Fingerprint of Our Galaxy, JPL/NASA)
He throws no shadow; he make in the mirror no reflect, as again Jonathan observe.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
The Arc “capsids” appeared to mirror viral capsids in their physical structure as well as their behavior and other properties.
(Memory gene goes viral, National Institutes of Health)
I could catch glimpses of my face, white and ghastly, distorted with pain, in the cabin mirror.
(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)
| Learn English with... Proverbs |
"The way the arrow hits the target is more important than the way it is shot; the way you listen is more important than the way you talk." (Bhutanese proverb)
"Want the horse to be the best, also want the horse not to eat any hay." (Chinese proverb)
"Empty barrels make more noise." (Danish proverb)