Definition

1. Noun:

   • A polished surface that reflects light to form an image: A smooth, shiny object, typically made of glass with a reflective coating, that shows a clear image of whatever is in front of it.
   • A faithful representation or reflection: Something that gives a true and accurate depiction or impression of something else.

2. Verb:

   • To reflect as if in a mirror: To show an image of something on a reflective surface.
   • To correspond to or resemble closely: To be very similar to something else; to be a faithful representation of a situation, feeling, or quality.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • She looked at her reflection in the mirror.
  • His face was a mirror of his disappointment. (Meaning: His face clearly showed his disappointment.)

• Verb:

  • The still lake mirrored the surrounding mountains perfectly.
  • The report mirrors the concerns of the local community. (Meaning: The report accurately reflects the community's concerns.)

Advanced Usage

• "to hold a mirror up to": To show someone or something the truth about themselves, often an unpleasant truth.
  • Great art holds a mirror up to society.
• "mirror image": An image or object that is identical to another but with the left and right reversed, as seen in a mirror; or, something that is the exact counterpart of something else.
  • The two political parties are mirror images of each other on this issue.

Variants and Related Words

• Mirrored (adj): Having a surface that reflects like a mirror.
  • The mirrored wall made the room look larger.
• One-way mirror (n): A mirror that is transparent from one side and reflective from the other, often used for observation.
• Rear-view mirror (n): A mirror in a vehicle that lets the driver see the area behind.

Synonyms

• Noun (for a reflective surface): Looking glass, reflector.
• Noun (for a faithful depiction): Reflection, embodiment, representation.
• Verb (to reflect): Reflect, show.
• Verb (to resemble): Echo, parallel, match, correspond to.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Mirror" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its verbal use is typically transitive.) - "Mirror back": To reflect an image or, figuratively, to repeat someone's words or feelings back to them. - The therapist mirrored back the client's feelings to help with clarity.

Related Idioms

• "Smoke and mirrors": The use of deceptive or misleading information or actions to obscure the truth.
  • The company's financial report was all smoke and mirrors.
• "Through the looking glass": A phrase originating from Lewis Carroll's book, used to describe a strange, surreal, or inverted situation.
  • After the unexpected election result, the country felt like it had stepped through the looking glass.

Noun

1. a faithful depiction or reflection
   • the best mirror is an old friend
2. polished surface that forms images by reflecting light

Verb

1. reflect or resemble
   • The plane crash in Milan mirrored the attack in the World Trade Center
2. reflect as if in a mirror
   • The smallest pond at night mirrors the firmament above