nod
verb
\ ˈnäd
\
\
nodded;
nodding
Definition of nod
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to make a quick downward motion of the head whether deliberately (as in expressing assent or salutation) or involuntarily (as from drowsiness)
She nodded in agreement. The guard nodded to us as we walked in. He sat nodding by the fire.
2
: to incline or sway from the vertical as though ready to fall
signposts nodding in the wind
3
: to bend or sway the upper part gently downward or forward : bob gently
the plumes that nodded on his helmet nodding flowers on long stems
4
: to make a slip or error in a moment of abstraction
… Fuentes nods, and his language then falls into … an overly learned mumbo-jumbo that stops the drama of his action.— Robert Maurer
1
: to incline downward or forward
nodded his head in agreement
2
: to bring, invite, or send by a nod
nodded us in
3
: to signify by a nod
nodded their approval
nod
nounDefinition of nod (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: the act or an instance of nodding
gave a nod of greeting
2
: an indication especially of approval or recognition
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Synonyms for nod
Synonyms: Verb
bob, bobble, jog, jounce, pump, seesaw, wag
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Examples of nod in a Sentence
Verb
She nodded when I asked her if she was ready. I asked her if she could hear me, and she nodded her head. “The bathroom is around the corner,” he said, nodding to the left. She nodded toward the dirty dishes and said she would get to them later.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
In one scene, the Chinese workers brought to Ohio listen quietly or nod as managers tell them why a union’s a bad idea. — Echo Huang, Quartz at Work, "In Obama’s “American Factory,” Chinese viewers glimpse their own labor problems," 26 Aug. 2019 All that places her near the top of a growing wave of singer-songwriters who nod at classic rockers but really are blasting the likes of Tegan and Sara and Paramore out their car windows. — Washington Post, "12 things to do in the D.C. area this week," 19 Aug. 2019 The child nods yes, sniffles and wipes a tear from her eye. — Mark Curnutte, Cincinnati.com, "4 addresses in 4 months: This is what poverty looks like for this Cincinnati family," 10 July 2019 Or the beef tartare, which nods to tradition while maintaining its own point of view. — Wine Australia, Bon Appétit, "How Three Aussie Gents Brought Australian Café Culture to New York City," 8 July 2019 The teens wore solemn faces throughout the hearing and glanced into the gallery at their family occasionally who nodded in support. — Mckenna Oxenden, baltimoresun.com, "Three remaining teens plead guilty in death of Baltimore County police Officer Amy Caprio," 3 June 2019 Easy to understand for the layman, with enough technical comparisons for the hardcore science enthusiast to nod along to. — Sarah Mupo, STAT, "The 39 best health and science books to read this summer," 25 June 2018 With one juror repeatedly nodding his head, Marcus-Kurn told the jury Vazquez, like the other priests in his order, wore a robe with a rope around it. — Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, "Catholic priest found guilty of sexually abusing girls at his D.C. parish," 15 Aug. 2019 Her friend, Teresa Santos, sat beside her, nodding her head while her two children, ages 2 and 9, played with toys on the ground in front of her. — Los Angeles Times, "Trump’s new asylum rule strands Central American migrants in Tijuana," 16 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The former two-sport athlete rode his motorcycle right up to the set, sporting a Pat Sullivan jersey, a nod to another Auburn Heisman Trophy winner. — Mark Heim | [email protected], al, "Watch Bo Jackson ride up to ESPN’s ‘GameDay’ set on motorcycle, sporting Pat Sullivan jersey," 31 Aug. 2019 The donations come from all over the globe, usually in $3, $33, $333 increments, a nod to the family’s favorite number. — Los Angeles Times, "Tyler Hilinski’s family rebuilds their lives around youngest son’s football dreams," 30 Aug. 2019 Perhaps this is a nod to the event's New Jersey setting? — Whitney Friedlander, CNN, "2019 MTV VMAs: Watch for Taylor Swift, Jonas Brothers and more," 26 Aug. 2019 And the tone in the lead guitar is a pretty big nod to Ride. — Courtney E. Smith, refinery29.com, "New Music To Know This Week: Summer Walker Strums Though The Pain & More," 23 Aug. 2019 Plus, Hadid's square shaped mani seemed to be a direct nod to the '90s revival happening worldwide. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "Bella Hadid Puts Her Own Spin on Summer’s Coolest Nail Trend," 22 Aug. 2019 The rope is an overt nod to the racist practices produced by restrictive housing covenants and redlining. — Marcus Harrison Green, The Seattle Times, "See how a Seattle artist is telling the painful story of redlining in his city," 8 Aug. 2019 But the record, the band’s 17th studio release, is more than a nod to retro gaming. — John Adamian, courant.com, "The Mountain Goats, excavating life in America with candor, wisdom, coming to College Street," 5 Aug. 2019 While there is some nod to New-Deal-like programs (the law will create a Climate Justice Working Group for instance), those aspects are limited in scope to issues brought up by transitions in the energy economy. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "New York passes its Green New Deal, announces massive offshore wind push," 19 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nod.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for nod
nod
verb
English Language Learners Definition of nod
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to move your head up and down as a way of answering "yes" or of showing agreement, understanding, or approval
: to move your head up and down as a signal to someone or as a way of saying hello or goodbye to someone
: to slightly move your head in a specified direction
nod
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of nod (Entry 2 of 2)
: a movement of your head up and down especially as a way of answering "yes" or of showing agreement, understanding, or approval : an act of nodding
somewhat informal
: something done to show that someone or something has been chosen, approved, etc.
See the full definition for nod in the English Language Learners Dictionary
nod
verb
\ ˈnäd
\
\