Gesture

/ˈdʒɛstʃər/ noun, verb

Definition

A movement of the hand, body, or face that shows an idea or feeling; or to move your body to express something.

Etymology

From Latin *gestura* “bearing, carriage,” from *gerere* “to carry, bear, perform.” It originally referred to how someone carried or behaved with their body. Over time it narrowed to meaningful movements used as signals.

Kelly Says

Gestures are a kind of silent language that often cross borders faster than words — a thumbs-up is understood in many places. Some researchers think gestures came before speech, meaning our bodies may have ‘talked’ long before our tongues did.

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