ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mirror

n. · v.
US //ˈmɪɹɝ// UK //mˈɪɹɐ// mir·ror
  1. 1 reflective glass (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a piece of glass with a special coating that shows you an image of yourself when you look at it.

    a polished or smooth surface, typically of glass with a metallic backing, that reflects light to form an image of objects in front of it.

    Example

    He looked in the bathroom mirror to check his hair before the interview.

    Example

    The ornate silver-framed mirror in the hallway was angled to catch the afternoon light, making the narrow space appear significantly larger.
  2. 2 a reflection or representation (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    something that shows a clear picture or example of something else.

    a person, object, or event that provides a faithful representation or reflection of another entity or situation.

    Example

    The city's busy streets are a mirror of its growing economy.

    Example

    The protagonist's internal struggle serves as a mirror of the societal tensions prevalent during the post-war era.
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  1. 3 data replica (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a website or server that keeps an exact copy of the data from another site to help with traffic.

    a network server or website that contains a duplicate set of files from another server to reduce latency or provide a backup.

    Example

    If the main download site is too slow, try using the European mirror.

    Example

    The university maintains several mirrors of the open-source repository to ensure that local students can access the software without consuming international bandwidth.
  2. 4 to reflect an image (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to show an image of something on a surface like water or glass.

    to reflect an image of something on a surface. Transitive — requires a direct object.

    Example

    The still water of the lake mirrored the mountains perfectly.

    Example

    The glass facade of the skyscraper mirrored the shifting clouds, creating a dynamic visual effect that changed with the weather.
  3. 5 to match or imitate (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to be very similar to something else or to copy someone's behavior.

    to correspond to or represent something else in a very similar way; to imitate a pattern or behavior closely.

    Example

    The child's movements mirrored his father's as they walked together.

    Example

    The company's recent decline in profits mirrors a broader trend across the entire manufacturing sector this quarter.
Origin

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".

Idioms1 entry

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