ichidan verb, transitive verb
begin to read; start reading
Describes the action of starting to read something, often implying that the reading is interrupted or not finished. The second gloss 'to leaf through a book' is a less common nuance, suggesting a casual, partial reading.
電車の中で小説を読みかけたが、すぐに眠くなった。
I started reading a novel on the train, but soon got sleepy.
彼は手
He began to read the letter and sighed.