noun
mirror; looking glass
The ordinary everyday word for a reflective mirror, from a bathroom mirror to a small hand mirror.
出かける前に鏡で髪を直した。
I fixed my hair in the mirror before going out.
この鏡は部屋を広く見せる。
This mirror makes the room look larger.
noun
barrel head; cask head
Specialized use for the flat circular end or lid of a barrel or cask, especially familiar in contexts such as sake-cask opening.
鏡開きでは、酒樽の鏡を木槌で割る。
At a sake-cask opening ceremony, the barrel head is broken with wooden mallets.
noun
document cover sheet; front summary page
Technical business or finance-related use for a page placed at the beginning of a document, listing information such as purpose, date, and author.
会計書類の鏡に、作成日と担当者名を記入した。
I entered the preparation date and the person in charge on the cover sheet of the accounting documents.
noun
mirror-shaped mochi; kagami mochi
Abbreviation of 鏡餅; limited to New Year decoration or offering contexts where the mochi is already understood.
See also: 鏡餅 (かがみもち)
正月飾りの話で「鏡」と言えば、鏡餅を指すことがある。
When talking about New Year decorations, 鏡 can sometimes refer to kagami mochi.