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mirror

- 8 dictionary results

mir⋅ror

[mir-er]
–noun
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. Optics. 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.
–verb (used with object)
8. to reflect in or as if in a mirror.
9. to reflect as a mirror does.
10. to mimic or imitate (something) accurately.
11. to be or give a faithful representation, image, or idea of: Her views on politics mirror mine completely.
–adjective
12. Music. (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.
13. with mirrors, by or as if by magic.

Origin:
1175–1225; ME mirour < OF mireo(u)r, equiv. to mir- (see mirage ) + -eo(u)r < L -ātor -ator


mir⋅ror⋅like, adjective


6. model, epitome, paradigm.
mir·ror   (mĭr'ər)   
n.  
  1. A surface capable of reflecting sufficient undiffused light to form an image of an object placed in front of it. Also called looking glass.
  2. Something that faithfully reflects or gives a true picture of something else.
  3. Something worthy of imitation.
tr.v.   mir·rored, mir·ror·ing, mir·rors
To reflect in or as if in a mirror: "The city mirrors many of the greatest moments of Western culture" (Olivier Bernier).

[Middle English mirour, from Old French mireor, from mirer, to look at, from Latin mīrārī, to wonder at, from mīrus, wonderful; see smei- in Indo-European roots.]

Mirror

Mir"ror\, n. [OE. mirour, F. miroir, OF. also mireor, fr. (assumed) LL. miratorium, fr. mirare to look at, L. mirari to wonder. See Marvel, and cf. Miracle, Mirador.]

1. A looking-glass or a speculum; any glass or polished substance that forms images by the reflection of rays of light.

And in her hand she held a mirror bright, Wherein her face she often view[`e]d fair. --Spenser.

2. That which gives a true representation, or in which a true image may be seen; hence, a pattern; an exemplar.

She is mirour of all courtesy. --Chaucer.

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

3. (Zo["o]l.) See Speculum.

Mirror carp (Zo["o]l.), a domesticated variety of the carp, having only three or fur rows of very large scales side.

Mirror plate. (a) A flat glass mirror without a frame. (b) Flat glass used for making mirrors.

Mirror writing, a manner or form of backward writing, making manuscript resembling in slant and order of letters the reflection of ordinary writing in a mirror. The substitution of this manner of writing for the common manner is a symptom of some kinds of nervous disease.

Mirror

Mir"ror\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mirrored; p. pr. & vb. n. Mirroring.] To reflect, as in a mirror.
Language Translation for : mirror
Spanish: espejo,
German: der Spiegel,
Japanese:

mirror 
c.1225, from O.Fr. mireor "a reflecting glass," earlier miradoir (11c.), from mirer "look at," from V.L. *mirare, from L. mirari "to wonder at, admire" (see miracle). Fig. usage is attested from c.1300. The verb. meaning "to reflect" is first attested 1820 in Keats's "Lamia." Used in divination since classical and biblical times; mirrors in modern England are the subject of at least 14 known superstitions, according to folklorists. Belief that breaking one brings bad luck is attested from 1777.

Main Entry: mir·ror
Pronunciation: 'mir-&r
Function: noun
: a polished or smooth surface (as of glass) that forms images by reflection
mirror   (mĭr'ər)  Pronunciation Key 
An object that causes light or other radiation to be reflected from its surface, with little or no diffusion. Common mirrors consist of a thin sheet or film of metal, such as silver, behind or covering a glass pane. Mirrors are used extensively in telescopes, microscopes, lasers, fiber optics, measuring instruments, and many other devices. See more at reflection.

mirror
1. Writing duplicate data to more than one device (usually two hard disks), in order to protect against loss of data in the event of device failure. This technique may be implemented in either hardware (sharing a disk controller and cables) or in software. It is a common feature of RAID systems.
Several operating systems support software disk mirroring or disk-duplexing, e.g. Novell NetWare.
See also Redundant Array of Independent Disks.
Interestingly, when this technique is used with magnetic tape storage systems, it is usually called "twinning".
A less expensive alternative, which only limits the amount of data loss, is to make regular backups from a single disk to magnetic tape.
2. mirror site.
(1998-06-11)

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