What is "nod"

Nod \Nod\ (n[o^]d), n.

1. A dropping or bending forward of the upper part or top of anything.

   Like a drunken sailor on a mast, Ready with every nod to tumble down.
   --Shak.

2. A quick or slight downward or forward motion of the head, in assent, in familiar salutation, in drowsiness, or in giving a signal, or a command; as, a nod of approval.

   A look or a nod only ought to correct them [the children] when they do amiss.
   --Locke.

   Nations obey my word and wait my nod.
   --Prior.

   The land of Nod, sleep.

Nod \Nod\ (n[o^]d), v. i. [OE. nodden; cf. OHG. kn[=o]t[=o]n, genuot[=o]n, to shake, and E. nudge.]

1. To bend or incline the upper part, with a quick motion; as, nodding plumes.

2. To incline the head with a quick motion; to make a slight bow; to make a motion of assent, of salutation, or of drowsiness, with the head; as, to nod at one.

3. To be careless or inattentive; to make a mistake from lack of attention.

   Nor is it Homer nods, but we that dream.
   --Pope.

4. To be drowsy or dull; to doze off, especially while in a sitting position; as, half the class nodded while the professor droned on.

Nod \Nod\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nodded; p. pr. & vb. n. Nodding.]

1. To incline or bend, as the head or top; to make a motion of assent, of salutation, or of drowsiness with; as, to nod the head.

2. To signify by a nod; as, to nod approbation.

3. To cause to bend. [Poetic]

   By every wind that nods the mountain pine.
   --Keats.

"to quickly bow the head," late 14c., of unknown origin, probably an Old English word, but not recorded; perhaps related to Old High German hnoton "to shake," from Proto-Germanic *hnudan. Meaning "to drift in and out of consciousness while on drugs" is attested from 1968. Related: Nodded; nodding. A nodding acquaintance (1711) is one you know just well enough to greet with a nod.

mid-15c., from nod (v.). Land of Nod "sleep" is a pun on the biblical place name (Gen. iv:16).

n. 1 An instance of moving one's head as described above. 2 A reference or allusion to something. vb. 1 (context transitive and intransitive English) To incline the head up and down, as to indicate agreement. 2 (context transitive and intransitive English) To sway, move up and down. 3 (context intransitive English) To gradually fall asleep. 4 (context intransitive English) To make a mistake by being temporarily inattentive or tired 5 (context intransitive soccer English) To head; to strike the ball with one's head.

1. n. a sign of assent or salutation or command

2. the act of nodding the head

3. [also: nodding, nodded]

1. v. express or signify by nodding; "He nodded his approval"

2. lower and raise the head, as to indicate assent or agreement or confirmation; "The teacher nodded when the student gave the right answer"

3. let the head fall forward through drowsiness; "The old man was nodding in his chair"

4. sway gently back and forth, as is in a nodding motion; "the flowers were nodding in the breeze"

5. be almost asleep; "The old man sat nodding by the fireplace"

6. [also: nodding, nodded]

NOD, Nod, or nod may refer to:

• Nod (gesture), a head gesture.
• Nod, a fictional character from the poem " Wynken, Blynken, and Nod"
• Nod factor (nodulation factor), signaling molecules produced by rhizobia during the initiation of nodules on the root of legumes
• Nation of Domination, a former stable in the World Wrestling Federation
• Network of Disclosure, a group of comic book dealers and collectors who have pledged to disclose any form of restoration or enhancement on a comic book transferred to another party through sale, trade or gift
• Night observation device or night vision device
• Night of Decadence, a campus party at Rice University in Houston, Texas, USA
• NOD mice (non-obese diabetic mice), a strain of mice genetically prone to develop diabetes
• NOD1 and NOD2, the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain receptors, components of the innate immune system
• NOD32, a software antivirus application from ESET software
• Notice of default, a notice given to a borrower regarding failure to pay debt
• Brotherhood of Nod, a fictional military organization in the Command & Conquer computer game series
• Nintendo optical disc, a type of media used by the Nintendo GameCube and Wii
• Nod, the original name of former Atlanta-based power pop band Raves
• Notice of Decision, a formal notice provided in response to a formal request, such as to a government entity.
• Nod, a novel from Canadian author Adrian Barnes, nominated for the 2013 Arthur C. Clarke Award
• NOD, abbreviation for Национально-освободительное движение (National Liberation Movement), term for right-wing nationalist organisations in Russia

A nod of the head is a gesture in which the head is tilted in alternating up and down arcs along the sagittal plane. In many cultures, it is most commonly, but not universally, used to indicate agreement, acceptance, or acknowledgment.