1. a Russian village community or the assembly of heads of households in such a community
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to the Russian space station
2. a space station operated by Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), in orbit from 1986 to 2001
Usage: proper noun; historical

Examples

• The mir was an important social institution in pre-revolutionary Russia.
• Decisions in the mir were made collectively by the village elders.
• Mir was the first continuously inhabited space station.
• Astronauts from many nations visited Mir during its operational years.
• The Russian space program maintained Mir in orbit for over a decade.