Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Increase in noncurrent deferred tax liabilities	$ 9,564,000
Increase in current deferred tax liabilities	1,326,000
Increase in noncurrent deferred tax assets	9,394,000
Increase in current deferred tax assets	1,496,000
Advertising costs incurred	10,823,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense	12,480,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense	10,935,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Research and development costs incurred	47,536,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense	47,973,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense	36,535,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Periods of performance considered for calculating compensation expense	3 years
Cost percentage of inventory under LIFO method	21.00%us-gaap_PercentageOfLIFOInventory	21.00%us-gaap_PercentageOfLIFOInventory
Consolidated inventories under FIFO method	7,496,000us-gaap_InventoryLIFOReserve	6,797,000us-gaap_InventoryLIFOReserve
Interest charges capitalized	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Product warranty period	1 year
Stock Options [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Options for common shares excluded from computation of diluted earning per share	69	0	75

Corporate performance measurement period.

No definition available.

Name:	ndsn_CorporatePerformanceMeasurementPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	ndsn_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase decrease in current deferred tax assets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ndsn_IncreaseDecreaseInCurrentDeferredTaxAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ndsn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase decrease in current deferred tax liabilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ndsn_IncreaseDecreaseInCurrentDeferredTaxLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	ndsn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase decrease in noncurrent deferred tax assets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ndsn_IncreaseDecreaseInNoncurrentDeferredTaxAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ndsn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase decrease in noncurrent deferred tax liabilities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ndsn_IncreaseDecreaseInNoncurrentDeferredTaxLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	ndsn_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Product warranty period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ndsn_ProductsWarrantyPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	ndsn_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	ndsn_SignificantAccountingPoliciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ndsn_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 720

-SubTopic 35

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420018&loc=d3e36677-107848

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 260

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Antidilution

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505113

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Diluted Earnings Per Share

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510752

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Contingent Stock Agreement

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6508534

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest capitalized, including amount of allowance for funds used during construction.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Allowance for Funds Used during Construction

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6504829

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 980

-SubTopic 835

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501662&loc=d3e56162-110433

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestCostsIncurredCapitalized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of difference between inventory at lower of LIFO cost or market and inventory at lower of other inventory accounting method cost or market, for example, but not limited to, FIFO or average cost.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.6(c))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph c

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InventoryLIFOReserve
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percentage of LIFO (last in first out) inventory to total inventory as of the balance sheet date if other than 100 percent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PercentageOfLIFOInventory
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 985

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501960&loc=d3e128462-111756

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 730

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420194&loc=d3e21568-108373

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: