gesture

[jes-cher]

noun

1. 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.

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

3. any action, courtesy, communication, etc., intended for effect or as a formality; considered expression; demonstration.

   a gesture of friendship.

4. 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)

gestured, gesturing 

1. to make or use a gesture or gestures.

verb (used with object)

gestured, gesturing 

1. to express by a gesture or gestures.

gesture

/ ˈdʒɛstʃə /

noun

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

verb

1. to express by or make gestures; gesticulate

Other Word Forms

• gestural adjective
• gesturer noun
• ungestural adjective
• ungesturing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gesture¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gesture¹

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

Example Sentences

It is, in a modest and practical way, an expression of the biblical injunction to honor one’s parents—not by grand gestures, but by assuming a few of the small responsibilities they habitually postpone.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The love of ambiguity can feel somewhat coy—Ms. Tokarczuk gestures toward the existence of occult mysteries without deigning to fully portray them.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“To Absent Friends” draws its title from a favorite Welty toast, a gesture that surely acquired special poignancy after Lyell died of congestive heart failure.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He will have meetings with other religious leaders in a gesture of inter-religious dialogue before flying on to the second leg of the trip.

Read more on BBC

It spread like wildfire on TikTok and Instagram, spawning its own hand gestures, and became so ubiquitous -- and annoying -- that it was reportedly banned in some US schools.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• action 
• body language 
• expression 
• indication 
• nod 
• reminder 
• salute 
• sign 
• signal 
• token 

When To Use

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.