"drooping or nodding, hanging with the apex downward," 1751, from Latin nutantem (nominative nutans), present-participle of nutare "to nod with the head," from PIE *neu- (2) "to nod" (see numinous).
Entries linking to nutant
numinous adj.
"divine, spiritual, of or pertaining to a numen," 1640s, from Latin numen (genitive numinis) "divine will," properly "divine approval expressed by nodding the head," from nuere "to nod," from PIE *neue- "to nod" (source also of Greek neuein "to nod;" Old Irish asnoi "to promise," adnoi "to entrust") + -ous.