Gesture
/ˈdʒɛs.tʃər/noun
A movement of the body, especially the hands or head, made to express an idea or feeling.
Did you know?Gesture comes from Latin gestura, from gerere, meaning “to carry” or “to bear,” so the word’s hidden history is about physically carrying meaning into the world.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰer-
“to carry, bear”
Latin
Latin
gerere
“to carry, bear, perform, wage”
Late Latin
Latin
gestura
“a carrying; manner of bearing oneself”
Old French
Old French
geste
“deed, action, manner of carrying oneself”
Middle English
English
gesture
“a movement of the body used to express something”
Modern English
English
gesture
“a movement of the body, especially the hands or head, expressing an idea or feeling”