A movement of the body, hands, or head used to express meaning or emotion while speaking.
From Latin gesticulari (to make gestures) + -tion (act of). The word entered English in the 16th century as people became more formally interested in rhetoric and body language.
People who are born deaf don't use gesticulation the same way—their sign language is so precise it can indicate tense, emotion, and even grammar with hand position alone.
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