nodded; nodding
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
Robert Maurer1
: 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
nodder
noun
1
: the act or an instance of nodding
gave a nod of greeting
2
: an indication especially of approval or recognition
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
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Jones’ total of seven Academy Award nominations include best picture, original score and original song for 1985’s The Color Purple, which received 11 Academy Award nods overall.
—Jennifer Frederick, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024
Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
For those with more energy, there are classes and lectures on all aspects of wellbeing, alongside regular recitals – a nod to Otto's belief that starving the mind while denying the body is no way to live.
—Bill Prince, theweek, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nod 
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Verb
The Peacock and Prime Video options felt like a decent enough compromise: the comforts of a traditional Election Night experience (correspondents reporting, analysts opining, anchors announcing results) packaged in a way that nodded toward the destabilizing future.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Jones’ total of seven Academy Award nominations include best picture, original score and original song for 1985’s The Color Purple, which received 11 Academy Award nods overall.
—Jennifer Frederick, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
The Decades Menu – which brings back items from each era since Taco Bell’s founding in 1962 – is a nod to the past and a way to bridge generations, according to Tresvant.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
For those with more energy, there are classes and lectures on all aspects of wellbeing, alongside regular recitals – a nod to Otto's belief that starving the mind while denying the body is no way to live.
—Bill Prince, theweek, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nod
Dictionary Entries Near nod
Cite this Entry
“Nod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nod. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nod
1 of 2 verb
nodded; nodding
1
: to bend the head downward or forward (as in bowing or going to sleep or as a way of answering "yes")
2
: to move up and down
the tulips nodded in the breeze
3
: to show by a nod of the head
nod agreement
4
: to let one's attention roam for a moment and make an error
nodder
noun
nod
2 of 2 noun
: the action of nodding
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