gesture

[ jes-cher ]

See synonyms for gesture on Thesaurus.com

noun

a movement or position of the hand, arm, body, head, or face that is expressive of an idea, opinion, emotion, etc.: the gestures of an orator; a threatening gesture.
the use of such movements to express thought, emotion, etc.

any action, courtesy, communication, etc., intended for effect or as a formality; considered expression; demonstration: a gesture of friendship.
Digital Technology. a particular movement of the body, typically the fingers or hand, used to control or interact with a digital device (often used attributively): a gesture command;Use a two-finger pinching gesture on your touchscreen to zoom in or out.

verb (used without object),ges·tured, ges·tur·ing.

to make or use a gesture or gestures.

verb (used with object),ges·tured, ges·tur·ing.

to express by a gesture or gestures.

Origin of gesture

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

Other words from gesture

ges·tur·al, adjective
ges·tur·er, noun
un·ges·tur·al, adjective
un·ges·tur·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gesture in a sentence

His paintings consist of a gestural script simultaneously simple yet impossible to decipher.
A Street Artist's Fashion Week Debut | Isabel Wilkinson | February 10, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
Newell meanwhile, experimented with gestural abstraction in the 1950s.
The Inside Outsider Artist | Anthony Haden-Guest | January 14, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
But the speech, or oral, method is steadily growing in popularity, and gradually supplanting manual spelling and gestural signs.
What the Mother of a Deaf Child Ought to Know | John Dutton Wright
It is quite the contrary in the case of the instantaneous gratification of a video work, of an installation, or of gestural art.
The Civilization of Illiteracy | Mihai Nadin

British Dictionary definitions for gesture

gesture

/ (ˈdʒɛstʃə) /

noun

a motion of the hands, head, or body to emphasize an idea or emotion, esp while speaking
something said or done as a formality or as an indication of intention: a political gesture

obsolete the manner in which a person bears himself; posture

verb

to express by or make gestures; gesticulate

Origin of gesture

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

Derived forms of gesture

gestural, adjective
gesturer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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