Refers to a light, brief sleep, often during the day or when one is not fully asleep. More literary or poetic than 居眠り.
In the afternoon sun, the cat had fallen into a doze.
I enjoyed a short nap on the train.
Applies to each form listed below
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 微睡み and 微睡 are rare and literary.
Rare kanji spelling; the reading is a jukujikun.
Rare kanji spelling without okurigana; the reading is a jukujikun.
The word まどろみ is derived from the verb まどろむ (to doze). The kanji 微睡 are jukujikun, assigned for their meanings ('faint' and 'sleep') rather than their usual readings.