Noddle
/ˈnɒdəl/noun
An informal or dialectal word for the head, and sometimes for a foolish person.
Did you know?Noddle is closely associated with the older word nod, linking the head’s name to the physical act of bobbing or dipping it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic influence
Germanic
*hnut- / *hnod-?
“A cautiously proposed Germanic base associated with nodding or movement of the head; the ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Late Middle English
English
noddle
“The head; apparently formed from nod with a diminutive or informal ending.”
15th Century
English
noddle
“A person’s head, often in colloquial or mildly contemptuous use.”
16th Century
English
noddle
“A foolish or silly person, by association with the head or a supposedly empty-headed person.”
Modern English
English
noddle
“A dialectal or informal term for the head, especially in phrases suggesting foolishness.”