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Definition of looking glass

looking glass

Plural:looking glasses
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looking glass Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A mirror made of glass with a metallic backing, used for viewing one's reflection.

Example

"She adjusted her wide-brimmed hat in the ornate silver looking glass before leaving the bedchamber."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for looking glass

Word Nuance & Usage

While once the standard term, 'looking glass' is now highly archaic or literary, having been almost entirely replaced in everyday English by the word 'mirror'.

• Nearby Words

lonicera
loofah
lookdown
looking glass
loom
loon
loop

Word Origin & Etymology

Originated in the early 16th century by combining the participle 'looking' (the act of viewing) with 'glass' (referring to a pane of glass backed by reflective metal).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Looking glass. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/looking glass
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