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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

gesture en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/ (UK)
  • /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃɝ/ (General-American)
  • (General-American) audio
  • /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Medieval Latin gestūra (“a mode of action”), from Latin gerō (“to bear; (reflexive) bear oneself, behave, act”), past participle gestus. By surface analysis, Latin gest- + -ure.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.
    • Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye, / In every gesture dignity and love. 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
    • Hand gestures are also essential to Belter communication, as they evolved from the days of wearing space suits with poor comms during the early settler days. 2016 January 15, Bryan Enk, “Belter Creole 101”, in SYFY:
    • The middle-finger gesture is really a nonverbal swear.
  2. (countable, uncountable) An act or a remark that serves as a formality or as a sign of attitude.
    • We took flowers as a gesture of sympathy.
    • But, with a gesture, she put a period to this dalliance—one shouldn't palter so on an empty stomach, she might almost have said. 1922, Michael Arlen, “2/4/1”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
  3. (countable, uncountable) A motion made with a pointing device, or on a touchscreen, that is recognised by the system as a command.
    • This Web browser can be controlled with mouse gestures.
  4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The manner of carrying the body; position of the body or limbs; posture.
    • Accubation, or lying down at meals, was a gesture used by very many nations. 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
gestures Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

midgesture · gesturer · gesturement · rhythmic gesture · gesticulation · misgesture · gesturelike · quiet coyote gesture · gesture politics · quiet fox gesture · gestural · countergesture · microgesture · intragesture · gesticulative · gestureless · silent fox gesture · gesticulate · intergesture

Translations (131)

nb gest (motion of the limbs or body) · ar لَفْتَة (motion of the limbs or body) · eo gesto (motion of the limbs or body) · bn ইশারা (motion of the limbs or body) · lv žests (motion of the limbs or body) · is látbragð (motion of the limbs or body) · hy շարժում (motion of the limbs or body) · tr el kol hareketi (motion of the limbs or body) · ka ჟესტი (motion of the limbs or body) · tr kol hareketi (motion of the limbs or body) · sl kretnja (motion of the limbs or body) · mk гест (motion of the limbs or body) · my အမူအရာ (motion of the limbs or body) · fr signe (motion of the limbs or body) · ru жест (motion of the limbs or body) · tr jest (motion of the limbs or body) · nl geste (act or remark) · gl xesto (act or remark) · fi ilmaus (act or remark) · az jest (motion of the limbs or body) · tg ишора (motion of the limbs or body) · sh gesta (act or remark) · sv åtbörd (motion of the limbs or body) · pl gest (motion of the limbs or body) · fr geste (act or remark) · sh gesta (motion of the limbs or body) · nb gest (act or remark) · fi ele (act or remark) · uz imo (motion of the limbs or body) · pt gesto (act or remark) · ka მოძრაობა (motion of the limbs or body) · hu gesztus (motion of the limbs or body) · de Geste (motion of the limbs or body) · tg имову ишора (motion of the limbs or body) · af gebaar (act or remark) · gl visaxe (motion of the limbs or body) · de Gebärde (motion of the limbs or body) · vi cử chỉ (motion of the limbs or body) · he מחווה \ מֶחֱוָה (motion of the limbs or body) · sl gesta (motion of the limbs or body) · tg ишорат (motion of the limbs or body) · ro gest (motion of the limbs or body) · tr baş hareketi (motion of the limbs or body) · hy ժեստ (motion of the limbs or body) · ka ნიშანი (act or remark) · ca gest (act or remark) · tk yşarat (motion of the limbs or body) · kmr îşaret (motion of the limbs or body) · mn дохио (motion of the limbs or body) · hu mozdulat (motion of the limbs or body) · ja 身振り (motion of the limbs or body) · tt ишарә (motion of the limbs or body) · he גֶ׳סְטָה (act or remark) · gl xesto (motion of the limbs or body) · nl gebaar (act or remark) · et žest (motion of the limbs or body) · hi संकेत (motion of the limbs or body) · el χειρονομία (motion of the limbs or body) · ug ئىشارەت (motion of the limbs or body) · ps اشاره (motion of the limbs or body) · sh ге̏ст (motion of the limbs or body) · la gestus (motion of the limbs or body) · gl sinal (act or remark) · uz ishora (motion of the limbs or body) · nl geste (motion of the limbs or body) · ja ジェスチャー (motion of the limbs or body) · sv gest (act or remark) · ka ჟესტი (act or remark) · uk жест (motion of the limbs or body) · it gesto (motion of the limbs or body) · lv žests (act or remark) · cs gesto (motion of the limbs or body) · es mariguanza (motion of the limbs or body) · sk gesto (motion of the limbs or body) · tr gesture (motion of the limbs or body) · tr el hareketi (motion of the limbs or body) · pt gesto (motion of the limbs or body) · sh gest (act or remark) · be целару́х (motion of the limbs or body) · sk gesto (act or remark) · km កាយវិការ (motion of the limbs or body) · ko 제스처 (motion of the limbs or body) · kk ым (motion of the limbs or body) · ko 몸짓 (motion of the limbs or body) · yi זשעסט (motion of the limbs or body) · lt gestas (motion of the limbs or body) · da gestus (motion of the limbs or body) · fa-ira ژِسْت (motion of the limbs or body) · cs gesto (act or remark) · fr geste (motion of the limbs or body) · nl gebaar (motion of the limbs or body) · te ఆంగికము (motion of the limbs or body) · nn gest (act or remark) · uz ishorat (motion of the limbs or body) · sv gest (motion of the limbs or body) · bn সংকেত (motion of the limbs or body) · ur اِشارَہ (motion of the limbs or body) · sh gȅst (motion of the limbs or body) · vi bộ tịch (motion of the limbs or body) · es amague (motion of the limbs or body) · es gesto (motion of the limbs or body) · bg жест (motion of the limbs or body) · mn ᠳᠣᠬᠢᠶ᠎ᠠ (motion of the limbs or body) · fa-ira اِشارِه (motion of the limbs or body) · ru жест (act or remark) · es ademán (motion of the limbs or body) · ca gest (motion of the limbs or body) · hy ժեստ (act or remark) · da gestus (act or remark) · fi liike (motion of the limbs or body) · gl aceno (motion of the limbs or body) · nn gest (motion of the limbs or body) · ru телодвиже́ние (motion of the limbs or body) · ky жаңдоо (motion of the limbs or body) · sq gjest (motion of the limbs or body) · tr işaret (motion of the limbs or body) · th ท่าทาง (motion of the limbs or body) · cmn 姿勢 /姿势 (motion of the limbs or body) · es gesto (act or remark) · gd gluasad (motion of the limbs or body) · ar إِشَارَة (motion of the limbs or body) · cmn 表示 (act or remark) · af gebaar (motion of the limbs or body) · uk ві́друх (motion of the limbs or body) · cmn 手勢 /手势 (motion of the limbs or body) · ru посту́пок (act or remark) · pt sinal (motion of the limbs or body) · be жэст (motion of the limbs or body) · fi ele (motion of the limbs or body) · hi इशारा (motion of the limbs or body) · de Geste (act or remark)

gesture en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/ (UK)
  • /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃɝ/ (General-American)
  • (General-American) audio
  • /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Medieval Latin gestūra (“a mode of action”), from Latin gerō (“to bear; (reflexive) bear oneself, behave, act”), past participle gestus. By surface analysis, Latin gest- + -ure.

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To make a gesture or gestures.
    • My dad told me never to gesture with my hands when I talk.
    • Never gesture at someone using your middle finger: it may be perceived as an insult.
  2. (transitive) To express (something) by a gesture or gestures.
    • He gestured his disgust.
  3. (transitive) To accompany or illustrate with gesture or action.
    • It is not orderly read, nor gestured as beseemeth. [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
  4. (transitive) To express or signal (to someone) by a gesture or gestures (to do something, go somewhere, etc).
    • “Then what can you do?” she snapped. “I was told you were the best. Was that an idle boast?” He sighed and gestured her to sit down. “My lady, I—” “Countess,” she said sharply. 2010 November 1, Elizabeth Chadwick, Elizabeth Chadwick Bundle: The Greatest Knight, The Scarlet Lion, and For the King's Favor, Sourcebooks, Inc., →ISBN:
    • […] she sweepingly gestured him to the pillory — a chair upon the platform, facing the school. Here he suffered for the unusual term of an hour, with many jocular and cunning eyes constantly upon him; and, when he was released at noon, horrid shouts […] 1915, Booth Tarkington, “Wednesday Madness”, in The Cosmopolitan, page 61:
    • Lorna gestured him to wait and handed the digital camera back to her. […] The guard gestured her to follow him. He seemed harmless without any guile as he stood facing her, waiting for her. She nodded and gestured, telling him to lead the way. 2021 May 1, Bruce Allsman, The Museum Curator, Bruce Yeoh:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
gestured Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
gestured Tense=Past lexicographic
gestures Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
gesturing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

misgesture · gesturable · gesturingly · ungesturing · overgesture

Synonyms

gesture · gesticulate · gesticulate

Translations (23)

mi ohaoha (to make a gesture) · es gestear (to express something by a gesture) · mi whakapuwheto (to express something by a gesture) · de gestikulieren (to make a gesture) · ca gesticular (to make a gesture) · fi elehtiä (to express something by a gesture) · fi osoittaa eleellään (to express something by a gesture) · sv gestikulera (to express something by a gesture) · sk gestikulovať (to make a gesture) · mi tuone (to make a gesture) · pt gesticular (to make a gesture) · eo gesti (to make a gesture) · de (jemandem etwas) bedeuten (to express something by a gesture) · ru жестикули́ровать (to make a gesture) · fi elehtiä (to make a gesture) · sv gestikulera (to make a gesture) · pt gesticular (to express something by a gesture) · cmn 表示 (to express something by a gesture) · nl gebaren (to express something by a gesture) · es gestear (to make a gesture) · bg жестикулирам (to make a gesture) · fi osoittaa (to make a gesture) · cmn 做手勢 /做手势 (to make a gesture)