I. ˈnäd verb
( nodded ; nodded ; nodding ; nods )
Etymology: Middle English nodden; akin to Old High German hnotōn to shake, Old Norse hnjotha to rivet, clinch, Latin cinis ashes — more at incinerate
intransitive verb
1. : to incline the head with a quick motion : make a quick downward motion of the head whether as a sign (as of assent, salutation, or command) or involuntarily (as from drowsiness)
her cousin nodded in agreement
sat nodding by the fire
2. : to incline or sway from the vertical as though ready to fall
the nodding debris that once was a city
3. : to bend or sway the upper part downward or forward with a quick motion : bob gently
the plumes that nod on his helmet
4. : to be for the moment inattentive, inaccurate, or careless : make a slip or error in a moment of abstraction
transitive verb
1. : to incline (as the head) or bend downward or forward ; specifically : to make a quick downward motion of (the head) as a sign or involuntarily
nodded his head in approval
2. : to bring, invite, or send by a nod
nod one back
3. : to signify by a nod
nod approbation
4. : to cause to bend : sway
II. noun
( -s )
: the act of one that nods or an instance of nodding: as
a. : nap
b. : a signal of approval or victory
c. : a careless or inattentive fault : slip , lapse
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably back-formation from noddle (I)
dialect England : the nape of the neck
IV. noun
: a drowsy stupefied state caused by or as if by the use of narcotic drugs — used especially in the phrase on the nod