Traveller getting an encouraging sign out of mum (5)
I believe the answer is:
nomad
'traveller' is the definition.
(nomad is a kind of traveller)
'an encouraging sign out of mum' is the wordplay.
'an encouraging sign' becomes 'nod' (I have seen 'Sign of assent' mean 'nod' so perhaps 'sign' could also mean 'nod'. I am not sure about the 'encouraging' bit.).
'out of' is an insertion indicator.
'mum' becomes 'ma' (ma can mean mother).
'nod' enclosing 'ma' is 'NOMAD'.
'getting' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for nomad that I've seen before include "Unsettled character" , "being domestically unstable" , "is one unsettled?" , "one must move on" , "A wandering tribesman" .)