noun
road mirage; water mirage
Refers to the optical illusion on hot roads where distant surfaces appear wet or reflective, as if water is present. A specific type of inferior mirage.
夏のアスファルトに逃げ水が見えた。
I saw a road mirage on the asphalt in summer.
逃げ水は、遠くの路面が水たまりのように見える現象だ。
A road mirage is a phenomenon where the distant road surface looks like a puddle.
蜃気楼 is a broader term for mirage, often associated with superior mirages (distant landscapes appearing in the sky), while 逃げ水 specifically refers to the common inferior mirage on hot roads.
Compound of 逃げ (nige, 'escaping') + 水 (mizu, 'water'), literally 'escaping water', because the illusory water appears to recede as one approaches.