Entry Word: gesture

Function: noun

Meaning: 1 a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or feeling <a teenager who often shrugs her shoulders in a gesture of indifference>

Synonyms gesticulation, pantomime, sign, signal

Related Words beck, flourish, shrug, wave; body language, posture; indication, motion

2 an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners <sent a handwritten thank-you note as a gesture of his gratitude> — see civility 1