# gesture

Pronunciation: US say "JES-chur" /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃɚ/; UK say "JES-chuh" /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/

## Noun

1. A movement of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize or accompany speech.
   - Simple: A movement of the hands, arms, or body, often used to add meaning to what you say.
   - _A sweeping gesture of his hand silenced the room._
   - _Her gestures grew more animated as the argument heated up._
2. An act or remark made as a formality or to signal an attitude or feeling.
   - Simple: Something you do or say to show how you feel or to be polite.
   - _Sending a card was a small gesture of sympathy._
   - _The company's donation was widely seen as an empty gesture._
6. A motion made on a touchscreen or with a pointing device that the system recognizes as a command.
   - Simple: A movement on a touchscreen or with a mouse that tells a device to do something.
   - _Pinch gestures let users zoom without pressing any buttons._
   - _The tablet maps each gesture to a specific shortcut._

## Verb

3. To move the hands, arms, or body in a way that communicates or emphasizes something.
   - Simple: To move your hands or body to show something or get attention.
   - _He gestured impatiently for the waiter to come over._
   - _Drivers who gesture rudely at others can provoke road rage._
4. To signal to someone, by a gesture, to do something or go somewhere.
   - Simple: To use a movement of your hand or body to tell someone to do something.
   - _He gestured the children to come inside before the rain started._
   - _Officers gesture drivers to pull over when the lane is closed._
5. To express something, such as a feeling or intention, through a gesture or gestures.
   - Simple: To show a feeling or idea by moving your hands or body.
   - _She gestured her impatience by tapping her watch._
   - _Performers gesture meaning that words alone cannot convey._
7. To accompany or illustrate something with gesture or physical action.
   - Simple: To add hand or body movements to something you say or do.
   - _She gestured every line of the poem to help the children picture it._
   - _Good lecturers gesture their key points to make them memorable._

## Noun

8. A person's bearing or posture, including the way the body and limbs are held. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: The way a person holds and carries their body.

## Origin

It comes from Medieval Latin gestūra ("a mode of action"), from the Latin verb gerō ("to bear" and, reflexively, "to behave or act"), whose past participle was gestus.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/gesture (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).