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From CNN Student News: CNN Student News Jan 22, 2014

JASON SANCHEZ, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: After a decade of planning and construction, One World Trade Center is getting ready to open for business by the end of this year. But before it opens, CNN Money got a sneak peak at what the tallest building in North America will look like from the inside.

Workers are still building out the lobby, but there are already some distinctive nods to the original World Trade Center complex.

From the dictionary, nods means an act of nodding, also can be extended as approve, but what's the meaning of the word here? Also means nodding?

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You can nod at a person to acknowledge their presence. Here it has that same meaning, but figuratively rather than an actual physical nod.

You will see that the next sentence in the article talks about the new building having the marble from the same quarry as the original. So the "distinctive nods" mean that by using the same marble they are acknowledging the original World Trade Centre complex.

The following explanation from Wikipedia should give you a better description of how nodding can be used in this way. It talks about the physical gesture - the metaphorical one mentioned in your article would have the same sentiment behind it. The "degree of respect" part is notable - they are not just acknowledging the previous building was there, but the "nod" is a gesture of respect to it and what it represented.

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.

(from Wikipedia)

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  • Good answer. I was thinking that "nod" in this context means the lobby to the new building is reminiscent of the lobbies of the previous buildings (that is, there are some noticeable, deliberate resemblances). As you said, it's a figurative nod of acknowledgement.
    – J.R.
    Jan 23, 2014 at 11:05

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