gesture

a movement of the hand, arm, body, head, or face that expresses a thought, opinion, or emotion: a threatening gesture; any action or communication used to express an idea or feeling: a loving gesture

Not to be confused with:

jester – one who makes jokes and funny moves; a professional clown: the court jester

ges·ture

(jĕs′chər)

a. A motion of the limbs or body made to express or help express thought or to emphasize speech.

b. The action of making such a motion or motions: communicated solely by gesture.

2. An act or a remark made as a formality or as a sign of intention or attitude: sent flowers as a gesture of sympathy.

v. ges·tured, ges·tur·ing, ges·tures

v.intr.

To make gestures.

v.tr.

To show, express, or direct by gestures: gestured her disapproval.

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin gestūra, bearing, from Latin gestus, past participle of gerere, to carry, carry on, act.]

ges′tur·al adj.

ges′tur·al·ly adv.

ges′tur·er n.

Synonyms: gesture, gesticulation, sign, signal
These nouns denote an expressive, meaningful bodily motion: a gesture of approval; frantic gesticulations to get help; made a sign for silence; gave the signal to advance.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

gesture

(ˈdʒɛstʃə)

1. a motion of the hands, head, or body to emphasize an idea or emotion, esp while speaking

2. something said or done as a formality or as an indication of intention: a political gesture.

3. obsolete the manner in which a person bears himself; posture

to express by or make gestures; gesticulate

[C15: from Medieval Latin gestūra bearing, from Latin gestus, past participle of gerere to bear]

ˈgestural adj

ˈgesturer n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ges•ture

(ˈdʒɛs tʃər)

n., v. -tured, -tur•ing. n.

1. a movement or position of the hand, arm, body, head, or face that is expressive of an idea, opinion, emotion, etc.: a threatening gesture.

2. the use of such movements to express thought, emotion, etc.

3. any action, communication, etc., intended for effect or as a formality; considered expression; demonstration: a gesture of friendship.

v.i.

4. to make or use a gesture or gestures.

v.t.

5. to express by a gesture or gestures.

[1375–1425; late Middle English < Medieval Latin gestūra mode of action, manner, bearing = Latin gest(us), past participle of gerere to bear, carry on, perform + -ūra -ure]

ges′tur•al, adj.

ges′tur•er, n.

Gesture

1. the science of gesture.
2. the art of conducting singers of Gregorian chant through hand gestures to mark the rise or fall of the melody. — chironomic, cheironomic, adj.

the science of manual sign language, as for use in communicating with the deaf. — dactylotogist, n. — dactylologic, dactylological, adj.

Linguistics. the study of units of gestural expression.

Linguistics. a systematic study of nonverbal body gestures, as smiles, hand motions, or other movements, in their relation to human communication; body language. Also called pasimology. — kinesic, adj.

kinesics.

the study of the signs that reveal human passions. — pathognomonic, adj.

gesture

Past participle: gestured
Gerund: gesturing

Imperative
gesture
gesture

Present
I gesture
you gesture
he/she/it gestures
we gesture
you gesture
they gesture

Preterite
I gestured
you gestured
he/she/it gestured
we gestured
you gestured
they gestured

Present Continuous
I am gesturing
you are gesturing
he/she/it is gesturing
we are gesturing
you are gesturing
they are gesturing

Present Perfect
I have gestured
you have gestured
he/she/it has gestured
we have gestured
you have gestured
they have gestured

Past Continuous
I was gesturing
you were gesturing
he/she/it was gesturing
we were gesturing
you were gesturing
they were gesturing

Past Perfect
I had gestured
you had gestured
he/she/it had gestured
we had gestured
you had gestured
they had gestured

Future
I will gesture
you will gesture
he/she/it will gesture
we will gesture
you will gesture
they will gesture

Future Perfect
I will have gestured
you will have gestured
he/she/it will have gestured
we will have gestured
you will have gestured
they will have gestured

Future Continuous
I will be gesturing
you will be gesturing
he/she/it will be gesturing
we will be gesturing
you will be gesturing
they will be gesturing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been gesturing
you have been gesturing
he/she/it has been gesturing
we have been gesturing
you have been gesturing
they have been gesturing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been gesturing
you will have been gesturing
he/she/it will have been gesturing
we will have been gesturing
you will have been gesturing
they will have been gesturing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been gesturing
you had been gesturing
he/she/it had been gesturing
we had been gesturing
you had been gesturing
they had been gesturing

Conditional
I would gesture
you would gesture
he/she/it would gesture
we would gesture
you would gesture
they would gesture

Past Conditional
I would have gestured
you would have gestured
he/she/it would have gestured
we would have gestured
you would have gestured
they would have gestured

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	gesture - motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling movement, motility, motion, move - a change of position that does not entail a change of location; "the reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise"; "movement is a sign of life"; "an impatient move of his hand"; "gastrointestinal motility" jab, jabbing, poking, thrusting, poke, thrust - a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow); "he warned me with a jab with his finger"; "he made a thrusting motion with his fist" mudra - ritual hand movement in Hindu religious dancing
	2.	gesture - the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals motion visual communication - communication that relies on vision sign - a gesture that is part of a sign language gesticulation - a deliberate and vigorous gesture or motion beck - a beckoning gesture facial expression, facial gesture - a gesture executed with the facial muscles flourish - a showy gesture; "she entered with a great flourish" high-five - a gesture of greeting or elation; one person's upraised palm slaps the upraised palm of another person previous question - a motion calling for an immediate vote on the main question under discussion by a deliberative assembly shrug - a gesture involving the shoulders wafture, waving, wave - the act of signaling by a movement of the hand V sign - a sign (for victory); making a V with the index and middle fingers nod - a sign of assent or salutation or command bowing, obeisance, bow - bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting sign of the cross - a gesture with the right hand moving to form a cross; used by Catholics as a profession of faith curtsey, curtsy - bending the knees; a gesture of respect made by women
	3.	gesture - something done as an indication of intention; "a political gesture"; "a gesture of defiance" beau geste - a gracious (but usually meaningless) gesture indicant, indication - something that serves to indicate or suggest; "an indication of foul play"; "indications of strain"; "symptoms are the prime indicants of disease"
Verb	1.	gesture - show, express or direct through movement; "He gestured his desire to leave" gesticulate, motion wink - signal by winking; "She winked at him" exsert, hold out, stretch forth, stretch out, put out, extend - thrust or extend out; "He held out his hand"; "point a finger"; "extend a hand"; "the bee exserted its sting" shrug - raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation clap, spat - clap one's hands together; "The children were clapping to the music" communicate, intercommunicate - transmit thoughts or feelings; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist" applaud, acclaim, clap, spat - clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval bless, sign - make the sign of the cross over someone in order to call on God for protection; consecrate nod - express or signify by nodding; "He nodded his approval" cross oneself - make the sign of the cross; in the Catholic religion bow, bow down - bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head; "He bowed before the King"; "She bowed her head in shame" shake - shake (a body part) to communicate a greeting, feeling, or cognitive state; "shake one's head"; "She shook her finger at the naughty students"; "The old enemies shook hands"; "Don't shake your fist at me!" beckon, wave - signal with the hands or nod; "She waved to her friends"; "He waved his hand hospitably"

gesture

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

gesture

noun

1. An expressive, meaningful bodily movement:

2. Something that takes the place of words in communicating a thought or feeling:

verb

To make bodily motions so as to convey an idea or complement speech:

Idiom: give the high sign.