body English

noun

1

: bodily motions made in a usually unconscious effort to influence the progress of a propelled object (such as a ball)

2

: the bodily movements a rider makes to supplement basic steering of a vehicle

… learning to control the howling machine with a combination of throttle and body English …

—Peter Passell

3

: body language

I was beginning to learn his body English. His hand tightened on mine and he indicated that he wanted to leave.

—Harper Lee

Examples of body English in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Basallo, who also hit a 437-foot homer Wednesday, used a little body English while the replay was in progress, then headed toward the mound for a hug with Suárez, who pitched three innings for his first save since 2017. —ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026

Pastrnak added some unorthodox body English to the shot. —Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Oct. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1