gesture
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English
Etymology
From Medieval Latin gestūra (“a mode of action”), from Latin gerō (“to bear; (reflexive) bear oneself, behave, act”), past participle gestus.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃɚ/, /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃɝ/
Audio (GA) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛst͡ʃə(ɹ)
Noun
gesture (plural gestures)
- A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.
- The middle-finger gesture is really a nonverbal swear.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:
- Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye, / In every gesture dignity and love.
- An act or a remark that serves as a formality or as a sign of attitude.
- We took flowers as a gesture of sympathy.
- 1922, Michael Arlen, “2/4/1”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
- 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.
- (graphical user interface) 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.
- (obsolete) The manner of carrying the body; position of the body or limbs; posture.
- 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: , 2nd edition, London: A Miller, for Edw Dod and Nath Ekins, , →OCLC:
- Accubation, or lying down at meals, was a gesture used by very many nations.
Derived terms
- countergesture
- gesticulate
- gesticulation
- gesticulative
- gestural
- gestureless
- gesturelike
- gesturement
- gesture politics
- gesturer
- rhythmic gesture
Translations
motion of the limbs or body
|
act or remark
|
Verb
gesture (third-person singular simple present gestures, present participle gesturing, simple past and past participle gestured)
- (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.
- (transitive) To express something by a gesture or gestures.
- He gestured his disgust.
- (transitive) To accompany or illustrate with gesture or action.
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, , London: Will Stansby , published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
- It is not orderly read, nor gestured as beseemeth.
Synonyms
- ((intransitive) make a gesture): gesticulate
Hyponyms
- ((intransitive) make a gesture): beckon
Translations
to make a gesture
|
to express something by a gesture
See also
Further reading
- “gesture”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “gesture”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Alemannic German
Adjective
gesture
- Alternative form of gesturm
Latin
Participle
gestūre