gesticulation
English
Etymology
From Middle French gesticulation, from Latin gesticulatio.
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -eɪʃən
Noun
gesticulation (countable and uncountable, plural gesticulations)
- The act of gesticulating, or making gestures to aid expression of thoughts, sentiments or passion.
- 1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann:
- It is commonly supposed that they communicated by sounds and tentacular gesticulations; this is asserted, for instance, in the able but hastily compiled pamphlet (written evidently by someone not an eye-witness of Martian actions) to which I have already alluded, and which, so far, has been the chief source of information concerning them.
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- A gesture; a motion of the body or limbs when speaking, or in representing action or passion, and enforcing arguments and sentiments.
- 1929, Robert Dean Frisbee, The Book of Puka-Puka (republished by Eland, 2019; p. 193):
- The breeze had died away and the tree was now quite motionless save when William's statements required forcible gesticulations, which made it sway in a gentle nodding manner as though it were confirming every word the old sage uttered.
- 1929, Robert Dean Frisbee, The Book of Puka-Puka (republished by Eland, 2019; p. 193):
- (dated) An odd or fanciful motion.
Related terms
- gesticulate
- gesticulative
- gesture
- gestural
Translations
act of gesticulating
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Anagrams
- unegotistical
French
Etymology
gesticuler + -ation
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
gesticulation f (plural gesticulations)
- gesticulation
Further reading
- “gesticulation”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.