sign language
Americannoun
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Also called sign. any of several visual-gestural systems of communication, especially employing manual gestures, as used among deaf people.
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any means of communication, as between speakers of different languages, using gestures.
noun
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another word for signing
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any system of communication by manual signs or gestures
Etymology
Origin of sign language
First recorded in 1840–50
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.
Wallace communicates with sign language or through his interpreter, Jo Beth Prince.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Carter Wallace has a favorite bit of sign language.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
"But the truth is we played Simon Says and read two books and taught children how to say 'hello, how are you?' in sign language and that was it."
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
There was also the sign language with Kimiko, and the connection.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
“I don’t think anyone can talk to animals. Except to dolphins, maybe. Or sign language to chimps.”
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
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.
