Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A motion of the limbs or body made to express or help express thought or to emphasize speech.
  • noun The action of making such a motion or motions.
  • noun An act or a remark made as a formality or as a sign of intention or attitude.
  • intransitive verb To make gestures.
  • intransitive verb To show, express, or direct by gestures.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Movement of the body or limbs; carriage of the person.
  • noun A motion of the head, body, or limbs expressive of thought, sentiment, or passion; any action or posture intended to express a thought or a feeling, or to emphasize or illustrate what is said.
  • noun Bearing; behavior, in a general sense.
  • noun Synonyms Gesture, Gesticulation. These words may have the same meaning, but gesture is more common to represent the thing, while gesticulation generally represents the act, and especially vigorous, varied, and rapid action: as, rapid and abundant gesticulation; a slight gesture of impatience.
  • To gesticulate; make gestures.
  • To accompany or enforce with gesture or action.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To accompany or illustrate with gesture or action; to gesticulate.
  • noun obsolete Manner of carrying the body; position of the body or limbs; posture.
  • noun A motion of the body or limbs expressive of sentiment or passion; any action or posture intended to express an idea or a passion, or to enforce or emphasize an argument, assertion, or opinion.
  • intransitive verb To make gestures; to gesticulate.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.
  • noun An act or a remark made as a formality or as a sign of attitude.
  • verb intransitive To make a gesture or gestures.
  • verb transitive To express something by a gesture or gestures.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb show, express or direct through movement
  • noun something done as an indication of intention
  • noun the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
  • noun motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin gestūra, bearing, from Latin gestus, past participle of gerere, to carry, carry on, act.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Medieval Latin gestura ("a mode of action"), from Latin gerere ("to bear, reflexive bear oneself, behave, act"), past participle gestus.

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Examples

  • ; if gesture points to a variable, send its contents as keystrokes if (% gesture%)

    AutoHotkey Community 2009

  • Emphasis in gesture is just as inartistic – and therefore ineffective – as emphasis in tone or language.

    The Art of the Story-Teller 1915

  • Massera served less than five years in prison before then-President Carlos Menem granted him and other coup leaders amnesty in what he called a gesture of reconciliation.

    Emilio Massera, Argentine Coup Leader, DEAD AP 2010

  • Massera served less than five years in prison before then-President Carlos Menem granted him and other coup leaders amnesty in what he called a gesture of reconciliation.

    Emilio Massera, Argentine Coup Leader, DEAD AP 2010

  • Horned Hand or The Mano Cornuto: This gesture is the Satanic salute, a sign of recognition between and allegiance of members of Satanism or other unholy groups.

    The Hack 2.0 Signal : Horned Hand spells Satanic Trouble Ben Barren 2005

  • Horned Hand or The Mano Cornuto: This gesture is the Satanic salute, a sign of recognition between and allegiance of members of Satanism or other unholy groups.

    Archive 2005-11-01 Ben Barren 2005

  • Arguably, this gesture is at odds with everything that has just been said about the play.

    Tragedy and the War of the Aesthetic 2000

  • This pale shadow of a gesture is as lovely, as inevitable, as the flight of wild swans beating up the sky.

    The Spring of Joy: A Little Book of Healing 1917

  • Massera served less than five years in prison before then-President Carlos Menem granted him and other coup leaders amnesty in what he called a gesture of reconciliation.

    SFGate: Top News Stories By DEBORA REY 2010

  • Following Argentina's return to democracy, Massera was condemned in 1985 to life in prison for three killings, the torture of 12 people and the illegal confinement of 69 others, but president Carlos Menem granted him and other coup leaders amnesty in what he called a gesture of reconciliation.

    CBC | Top Stories News 2010

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