1.
facing mirrors; two mirrors placed opposite each other
Two mirrors positioned face-to-face so that they reflect each other, creating an infinite regression of images. Used practically to see the back of one's own head, and metaphorically in literature and culture.
合わせ鏡で後ろの髪を確認する。
I check the back of my hair using facing mirrors.
合わせ鏡の中に無限の世界が見える。
You can see an infinite world within facing mirrors.
美容室で合わせ鏡を使って仕上がりを見せてくれた。
At the hair salon they showed me the finished result using facing mirrors.
Composed of 合わせる (to put together, to face) + 鏡 (mirror). The word describes both the physical setup and the visual effect of infinite reflections. Common in hair salons and barbershops.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 合わせ鏡で見る: to look using facing mirrors
- 合わせ鏡にする: to set up as facing mirrors
- 合わせ鏡の効果: the facing-mirror effect
CULTURAL NOTE:
In Japanese superstition, 合わせ鏡は不吉 (facing mirrors are unlucky). Some believe that spirits gather between facing mirrors, or that looking into them at midnight brings bad luck. This motif frequently appears in horror stories and supernatural fiction.