The present participle of 'dod,' meaning to cut off the horns or ears of an animal, or in some dialects, to nod repeatedly.
From Middle English 'dodden,' possibly related to Old Norse 'dod' meaning to strike or cut. The word has regional variations and may relate to the physical action of removing protrusions.
Medieval farmers had to remove horns from cattle for safety and management, so 'dodding' was a common enough practice to need its own verb—it's a window into how specific agricultural practices shaped everyday language.
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