gesture
Americannoun
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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.
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the use of such movements to express thought, emotion, etc.
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any action, courtesy, communication, etc., intended for effect or as a formality; considered expression; demonstration.
a gesture of friendship.
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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)
verb (used with object)
noun
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a motion of the hands, head, or body to emphasize an idea or emotion, esp while speaking
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something said or done as a formality or as an indication of intention
a political gesture
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obsolete the manner in which a person bears himself; posture
verb
Usage
What does gesture mean? A gesture is a movement of the hand, arms, or other body part that is intended to indicate or emphasize something, often when speaking. In other words, gestures are body movements that express something. For example, a wave of the hand is a common gesture used to say hello to someone. In this sense, gesture is also commonly used as a verb. A gesture can also be an action done for a specific reason, such as to show gratitude, as in Sending him flowers was a nice gesture. In the context of digital technology, we interact with touchscreen devices using gestures—movements such as swiping a finger from side to side or using two fingers to “pinch” the screen and zoom in and out. Example: When Tom walked into the office, his boss made a gesture to him to have a seat so they could talk.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gesturesimple
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gesturessimple
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have gesturedperfect
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has gesturedperfect
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am gesturingprogressive
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are gesturingprogressive
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is gesturingprogressive
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have been gesturingperfect progressive
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has been gesturingperfect progressive
Past
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gesturedsimple
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had gesturedperfect
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was gesturingprogressive
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were gesturingprogressive
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had been gesturingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of gesture
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin gestūra “mode of action, manner, bearing,” from Latin gest(us) “conducted” (past participle of gerere “to carry, conduct, display”) + -ūra -ure
Explanation
The thing to remember about gesture, whether you're using it as a verb or a noun, is that not only is it a movement of the hands or body, but it's also a movement that has some meaning, intention, or emotion behind it. When you use gesture, you are entering into a whole history of human communication, because there is no language that exists entirely without gesture (a fun fact to bring up at parties). People can't communicate without gesture. It's so connected to intention that there is a phrase "empty gesture," used to mean an action or movement that is without genuine feeling.
Vocabulary lists containing gesture
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"Of Mice and Men"
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Gesture and language really are a single integrated system. It's just not a system that linguists study. "
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2023
Gesture recognition won’t be news to those who use Zoom’s iPad and iPhone apps, which have supported the same two gestures since last summer.
From The Verge • Apr. 20, 2022
And two in particular: Tommie Smith and John Carlos, whose podium protests at the 1968 Olympics are the subject of a timely and vital new film, The Stand: How One Gesture Shook The World.
From The Guardian • Aug. 31, 2020
The gallery hosts “A Continued Gesture Towards Us,” a site-specific performance and exhibition in which Orrico, an artist and dancer, translates his movement practice into visual forms.
From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2018
Chang-rae Lee is the author of two novels, A Gesture Life and Native Speaker.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
