Gesticulate
[je-ˈsti-kyə-ˌlāt]
Part of speech: verb
Origin: Latin, 17th century
1.
To make hand gestures, especially while speaking
2.
To express a point through hand gestures without speaking
Examples of Gesticulate in a sentence
"Some people gesticulate a lot during a conversation, while others barely move their hands at all."
"During the candidate's speech, his assistant stood in the wings, making every effort to wildly gesticulate the fact that his fly was open."
About Gesticulate
Cultures around the world have varying and sometimes opposite approaches to how much gesticulating is acceptable during conversation. In Italy and the U.S., gesticulating is expected as it helps to communicate ideas and make stronger points. But in Japan, gesturing excessively while speaking is considered rude.
Did you Know?
Gesticulate shares the same roots as gesture, coming from the Latin word gestus. An ever deeper dive into the word's history reveals connections to another Latin word meaning "to perform."
