espejo
/esˈpexo/
Definition
A smooth, reflective surface — usually made of glass — that shows your image; a mirror.
Example
Ella se miró en el espejo antes de salir.
Show translation
She looked at herself in the mirror before leaving.
Etymology
From Latin *speculum* ("mirror, reflection"), derived from *specere* ("to look, to see"). The shift from Latin *speculum* to Spanish *espejo* followed the typical Vulgar Latin path through *speclum* and then *espejo* via sound changes common in Ibero-Romance. The same Latin root gives English "spectacle," "inspect," and "spectrum."
Cultural note
In Hispanic folklore and literature, the mirror carries rich symbolic weight. The phrase *el espejo no miente* ("the mirror doesn't lie") is a common proverb used to stress plain truth. Mirrors also appear prominently in magical-realist works — most famously, the opening of García Márquez's *Cien años de soledad* references the "mirror" of memory. In some Latin American folk traditions, covering mirrors in a house after a death is practiced to prevent the soul of the deceased from becoming trapped.