Additional tax expenses related to nondeductible acquisition costs.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 23
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84229725&loc=d3e1043-128460

+ Details

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

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterimPeriodCostsNotAllocableLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of decrease in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from lapses of applicable statutes of limitations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15A
-Subparagraph (a)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=SL6600010-109319

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=ndsn_VentionMedicalAdvancedTechnologiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017	Jul. 31, 2017	Apr. 30, 2017	Oct. 31, 2018	Oct. 31, 2017	Oct. 31, 2016
Interim Period Costs Not Allocable [Line Items]
Lapse of statute of limitations	$ 1,041				$ 1,120	$ 555	$ 523
Discrete tax expense related to nondeductible acquisition costs						$ 1,070
Vention [Member]
Interim Period Costs Not Allocable [Line Items]
Pre-tax acquisition costs		$ 391	$ 865	$ 13,415
Discrete tax expense related to nondeductible acquisition costs				$ 2,600