A mirror is a smooth surface, usually glass with a shiny backing, that reflects light to show a clear image of whatever is in front of it. People use mirrors to see their own reflection or to direct light.
From Old French ‘miroir,’ from ‘mirer’ meaning ‘to look at,’ from Latin ‘mirari’ (to wonder or admire). The word originally carried a sense of looking with attention or curiosity.
Mirrors don’t actually ‘flip’ you left to right; they reverse front and back, and your brain does the rest. Before good mirrors were common, most people rarely saw their own faces clearly—a fact that’s hard to imagine in the selfie age.
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