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Added 9 October 2026

gesture

/ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/ noun

In Latin: gestus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about gesture at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.
The middle-finger gesture is really a nonverbal swear.
An act or a remark that serves as a formality or as a sign of attitude.
We took flowers as a gesture of sympathy.
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.

verb

To make a gesture or gestures.
My dad told me never to gesture with my hands when I talk.
To express (something) by a gesture or gestures.
He gestured his disgust.
To accompany or illustrate with gesture or action.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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