Phrase guide

gossip mirror

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɡɒsɪp ˌmɪɹə/
  • General-American: /ˈɡɑsəp ˌmɪɹəɹ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A mirror or pair of mirrors mounted outside a window, allowing the viewer to see along a street while remaining indoors.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: street mirror

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From gossip (noun) + mirror (noun), a calque of a North Germanic language (compare Finnish juorupeili and Swedish skvallerspegel), from the idea that such mirrors are used by gossips to spy on other people in the street.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: gadespejl — mirror or pair of mirrors mounted outside a window, allowing the viewer to see along a street while remaining indoors
  • Dutch: spionnetje — mirror or pair of mirrors mounted outside a window, allowing the viewer to see along a street while remaining indoors
  • Finnish: juorupeili — mirror or pair of mirrors mounted outside a window, allowing the viewer to see along a street while remaining indoors
  • Swedish: skvallerspegel — mirror or pair of mirrors mounted outside a window, allowing the viewer to see along a street while remaining indoors