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nod (nŏd)
Share:
v. nod·ded, nod·ding, nods
v.intr.
1. To lower and raise the head quickly, as in agreement or acknowledgment.
2. To let the head fall forward when sleepy.
3. To be careless or momentarily inattentive as if sleepy; lapse: Even Homer nods.
4. To sway, move up and down, or droop, as flowers in the wind.
v.tr.
1. To lower and raise (the head) quickly in agreement or acknowledgment.
2. To express by lowering and raising the head: nod one's agreement.
3. To summon, guide, or send by nodding the head: She nodded us into the room.
n.
1. A forward or up-and-down movement of the head, usually expressive of drowsiness or agreement: a nod of affirmation.
2. An indication of approval or assent: The contestant got the nod from the judges.
3. Informal A nomination for an award.
Phrasal Verbs:
nod off
To doze momentarily: nodded off during the lecture.
nod out Slang
To fall asleep, especially as a result of taking a drug.
[Middle English nodden; perhaps akin to Middle High German notten.]
nodder n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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