gesture

Forms

1.A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.
- The middle-finger gesture is really a nonverbal swear.
- Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye, / In every gesture dignity and love.
- 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.
2.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.
3.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.

1.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.To express (something) by a gesture or gestures.
3.To accompany or illustrate with gesture or action.
- It is not orderly read, nor gestured as beseemeth.
4.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.

Uncommon· #3561

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.