mirror
/ˈmɪɹə/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.47 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A smooth surface, usually made of glass with reflective material painted on the underside, that reflects light so as to give an image of what is in front of it.
noun
A mirror carp.
noun
An ethical-didactic treatise that details exemplary conduct through models, advising kings, princes, clergy, etc. on how to behave.
Example Sentences
- "I had a look in the mirror to see if the blood had come off my face."
- "He broke the mirror with the pickaxe."
- "We could see the lorry in the mirror, so decided to change lanes."
- "His story is a mirror into the life of orphans growing up."
- "O goddess, heavenly bright, / Mirror of grace and majesty divine."
- "Although the content had been deleted from his blog, it was still found on some mirrors."
Etymology
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".
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *(s)mey-, mirour, mireor, mīror, *smey-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmɪɹə/
- British English: /ˈmɪɹə/