1.
reading glasses; presbyopic glasses
Glasses used to correct age-related farsightedness (presbyopia). Typically used by people in their 40s and older who have difficulty reading small text up close.
Glasses specifically designed to correct 老眼 (presbyopia), the age-related difficulty in focusing on nearby objects.
Etymology
Composed of 老眼 (presbyopia) + 鏡 (lens/glasses).
Common patterns
- 老眼鏡をかける: to put on reading glasses
- 老眼鏡を外す: to take off reading glasses
- 老眼鏡が必要になる: to start needing reading glasses
Alternative expressions
Some people avoid 老眼鏡 because the character 老 (old) feels blunt. Softer alternatives include:
- リーディンググラス: "reading glasses" (loanword)
- 手元用メガネ: glasses for close-up use