jazz hands

American  

[jaz handz] / ˈdʒæz ˌhændz /

plural noun

1. especially in modern jazz dance, a movement in which the performer displays forward-facing palms and fully splayed fingers, usually with the hands waving rapidly: adopted in general as a spirited gesture of enthusiasm.

   I want perfect mastery of all the steps in this number before we move to the upper limbs, so keep your jazz hands to yourself.

   Excuse my parents—they were cheerleaders in college, so their jazz hands come out whenever they’re excited about something.

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Etymology

Origin of jazz hands

First recorded in 1920–25, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

Sure, there’s Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow and the Hulk, among others, but these are superheroes who spend more time flexing jazz hands than muscle.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2023

This was the topic of a 2018 Kate Krader story in Bloomberg which specifically references dining experiences that include jazz hands, rolling carts and fancy places.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2023

Ashford, who grew up in Denver, seems to have come out of the womb with her baby fingers doing jazz hands.

From New York Times • May 10, 2023

"I wanted to have something that forced me to come out with jazz hands," he says.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2022

She’d teach chemistry with jazz hands and finger puppets if she thought that would inspire us.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson