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.
News of the updated sign language was met with applause and general bewilderment from Disneyland fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
It’s smack talk in sign language, and it always gets a chuckle out of coach Thomas Randolph.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Wallace communicates with sign language or through his interpreter, Jo Beth Prince.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The Republic of Ireland passed legislation in 2017, providing for the recognition of Irish Sign Language, its use in legal proceedings and the provision of interpretation into sign language by public bodies.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 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.
