gesticulate

American  

[je-stik-yuh-leyt] / dʒɛˈstɪk yəˌleɪt /

verb (used without object)

gesticulated, gesticulating

1. to make or use gestures, especially in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech.

   Synonyms:

   signal, wave, motion, gesture

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verb (used with object)

gesticulated, gesticulating

1. to express by gesturing.

gesticulate British  

/ dʒɛˈstɪkjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. to express by or make gestures

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Other Word Forms

• gesticulative adjective
• gesticulator noun
• gesticulatory adjective
• overgesticulate verb
• overgesticulative adjective
• overgesticulatively adverb
• ungesticulating adjective
• ungesticulative adjective
• ungesticulatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of gesticulate

1595–1605; < Latin gesticulātus (past participle of gesticulārī ), equivalent to Late Latin (assumed in Latin ) gesticul ( us ) gesture (diminutive of gestus; gestic, -cule ¹ ) + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Let the officers pore over their digital maps and the soldiers gesticulate obscurely at one another on the field.

From The Wall Street Journal

He’s holding a stress ball in one hand, and he’s gesticulating wildly with the other.

From Literature

Penelope glanced at the baroness, who had turned pale with fear and was gesticulating wildly at the baron.

From Literature

The Real Madrid midfielder, who had already been booked, gesticulated with his arms that he did not want to be substituted.

From BBC

When asked how she knew that, she gesticulated and pointed at her eyes, and shook her head incredulously.

From BBC