Gestures

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Actions performed with the body or hands to indicate thoughts or emotions
2. Movements of the hands, arms, or body made to convey meaning or emotion
3. Deliberate physical motions used to communicate nonverbally

Etymology: "Gestures" is the plural of "gesture," and the noun's roots lie in the Latin verb "gerere," meaning to bear, carry, or conduct oneself. The Latin past participle "gestus" carried the idea of a bearing or manner, and Medieval Latin built "gestura" from it, meaning a mode of action. The English word therefore began with a broad sense of how someone carries or behaves themselves, not specifically with hand movements. Over time the word narrowed. The sense of bodily movement used to express meaning came to dominate, so a gesture now usually means a deliberate motion of the hands, head, or body that signals something. The earlier sense of conduct survives in phrases like "a gesture of goodwill," where the act itself communicates an attitude.

Synonyms: signals, motions, indications, actions, movements

Antonyms: inaction, stillness, quiet, passivity, rest