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definitions

Idioms

    give the nod to, Informal. to express approval of; agree to: The board gave the nod to the new proposal.
    on the nod,
    1. British Slang.on credit.
    2. Slang.drowsy following a dose of a narcotic drug.

Origin of nod

1350–1400; Middle English nodde, of uncertain origin
Related formsnod·der, nounnod·ding·ly, adverbun·nod·ding, adjective

Synonyms for nod

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nod ON THESAURUS.COM
3. drowse.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for nod off

relax, snooze, doze, languish, nod, catnap, rest, sleep, rack, drowse, hibernate, crash, oversleep, slumber, bunk, repose, flop, retire, yawn, nap
British Dictionary definitions for nod off

nod off

verb

(intr, adverb) informal to fall asleep

nod

verb nods, nodding or nodded

to lower and raise (the head) briefly, as to indicate agreement, invitation, etc
(tr) to express or indicate by noddingshe nodded approval
(tr) to bring or direct by noddingshe nodded me towards the manager's office
(intr) (of flowers, trees, etc) to sway or bend forwards and back
(intr) to let the head fall forward through drowsiness; be almost asleepthe old lady sat nodding by the fire
(intr) to be momentarily inattentive or carelesseven Homer sometimes nods
nodding acquaintance a slight, casual, or superficial knowledge (of a subject or a person)

noun

a quick down-and-up movement of the head, as in assent, command, etcshe greeted him with a nod
a short sleep; napSee also land of Nod
a swaying motion, as of flowers, etc, in the wind
on the nod informal
  1. agreed, as in a committee meeting, without any formal procedure
  2. (formerly) on credit
the nod boxing informal the award of a contest to a competitor on the basis of points scored
See also nod off, nod out
Derived Formsnodding, adjective, noun

Word Origin for nod

C14 nodde, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for nod off

nod

n.

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

nod

v.

"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 *khnudojanan. 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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with nod off

nod off

Fall asleep momentarily, doze, as in Grandma spends a lot of time in her rocking chair, nodding off now and then. This expression alludes to the quick involuntary dropping of one's head from an upright position when drowsy or napping. The verb nod alone was so used from the mid-1500s. Also see drop off, def. 1.

nod

In addition to the idiom beginning with nod

  • nodding acquaintance
  • nod off

also see:

  • get the nod
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.