Nod ( gesture ) - wikipedia Nod ( gesture ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2007 ) A depiction of a man nodding 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. Contents 1 To indicate acceptance 2 To indicate refusal 3 As greeting 4 Nodding syndrome 5 See also 6 References 7 External links To indicate acceptance Different cultures assign different meanings to the gesture. Nodding to indicate `` yes '' is widespread, and appears in a large number of diverse cultural and linguistic groups. Areas in which nodding generally takes this meaning include the Indian subcontinent ( note that the head bobble also shows agreement there ), the Middle East, Southeast Asia, most of Europe ( see below ), Latin America and North America. Nodding may also be used as a sign of recognition in some areas, or to show respect. An insult may be inferred if it is not returned in kind. In Greece, the single nod of the head down that indicates `` yes '' is often combined with closing the eyes simultaneously. This nod commonly also includes a very slight, almost unnoticeable, turn of the head to the left ( or to the right ). An early survey of nodding and other gestures was The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, written by Charles Darwin in 1872. Darwin wrote to missionaries in many parts of the world asking for information on local gestures, and concluded that nodding for `` yes '' was common to many different groups. There are varying theories as to why nodding is so frequently used to indicate acceptance. One simple theory is that it is a form of bowing, indicating that one is prepared to accept what another person is saying or requesting. It has also been stated that babies, when hungry, search for milk by moving their heads vertically, but decline milk by turning their head from side to side. To indicate refusal There are few exceptions with some countries swapping the meanings between nodding and shaking head : in Greece, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Bulgaria, Albania, and Sicily a single nod of the head up ( not down ) indicates a `` no ''. Specifically in Greece, the single nod of the head up that indicates `` no '' is almost always combined with a simultaneous raise of the eyebrows and most commonly also with a slight ( or complete ) rolling up of the eyes. There is also a sound that sometimes accompanies the whole gesture, called `` τσου ''. This sound bears heavy resemblance, but is not identical, to the British tutting sound. The use of `` τσου '' is optional and reserved only for heavy emphasis on the `` no ''. The emphasis on the raised eyebrows and the rolling up of the eyes is such, that the actual nod of the head upwards has ended up being of secondary importance. A person can denote `` no '' by simply raising their eyebrows and rolling up their eyes, with the head staying completely still. As greeting Nodding can also be used as a form of nonverbal greeting or acknowledgement of another 's presence ; in this context, it is essentially an especially mild form of bowing, with just enough movement to show a degree of respect without additional formality. This includes the traditional downwards nod, or the upwards nod ( which is more informal and usually used among friends or subordinates ). To increase the formality, the downwards nod may also be accompanied by a suitable verbal greeting. Nodding syndrome Nodding is also a symptom of a yet unexplained disease. It affects mostly children under 15, and was first documented in Tanzania in 1962. See also Head bobble Head shake References Jump up ^ Darwin, Charles. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. New York : D. Appleton and Company, 1913 ; Page 272, accessed through Google Book Search. Jump up ^ https://news.yahoo.com/photos/mysterious-nodding-disease-slideshow/children-suffering-nodding-syndrome-gather-akoya-lamin-omony-photo-173929058.html External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Head nodding. The Straight Dope Imponderables Gestures Friendly gestures Air kiss Applause Cheek kiss Dap Elbow bump Eskimo kiss Fist bump Forehead kiss Hand heart Handshake Hand wave Hat tip High five Hongi ILY sign Kiss Liberian snap handshake Namaste OK Pinky swear Pound hug Shaka Thumb signal Gestures of respect Adab Bow Curtsey Gadaw Genuflection Hand - kiss Kowtow Kuji - in Mano Mudra Namaste Prostration Sampeah Sembah Schwurhand Wai Zolgokh Salutes Bellamy salute Nazi salute Raised fist Roman salute Scout sign and salute Three - finger salute Two - finger salute Vulcan salute Zogist salute Celebratory gestures Applause Crossed hands Fist pump High five Victory clasp V sign Finger - counting Finger binary Chinese number gestures Chisanbop Obscene gestures Anasyrma Bras d'honneur Cornuto Fig sign Finger Mooning Mountza Reversed V sign Shocker Thumb / index - finger ring Wanker Taunts Akanbe Finger Loser Talk to the hand Head motions Head shake Head bobble Nod Other gestures Air quotes Allergic salute Aussie salute Awkward turtle Crossed fingers Facepalm Eyelid pull Finger gun Gang signal Hand - in - waistcoat Hand rubbing Jazz hands Laban sign Merkel diamond Pabebe wave Pollice verso Shrug Sign of the cross Sign of the horns Related List of gestures Mudras Articulatory gestures Manual communication Nonverbal communication Sign language Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nod_(gesture)&oldid=774893140 '' Categories : Gestures Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from July 2007 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bân - lâm - gú Deutsch Nederlands Norsk Polski 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 April 2017, at 09 : 58. 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Question: nodding your head no is an example of
Answer: a gesture