expression, godan verb (-gu)
nod off while sitting; doze off
Idiomatic expression literally meaning 'to row a boat', used to describe the motion of someone nodding off while seated, as if rowing. The literal meaning is rarely used in modern Japanese; the idiomatic sense is the primary one.
会議中、彼は船を漕いでいた。
During the meeting, he was nodding off.
I often see passengers dozing off on the train.