gesture
UK[ˈdʒestʃə(r)]US[ˈdʒestʃər]
n
a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning
n
an action that expresses your feelings or intentions, although it may have little practical effect
v
to make a movement with your hands or head to express an idea or feeling
Morpheme Breakdown
gest
ure
gest
to carry, to bear
ure
noun suffix denoting action or result
Etymology
the word 'gesture' originates from the latin verb 'gerere', meaning to carry, bear, or conduct oneself. this evolved into the medieval latin 'gestura', denoting a manner of carrying the body or bearing, and later into the old french 'gesture'. the core semantic link lies in the concept of 'bearing' or 'carrying' an action or meaning through physical movement. thus, the modern english meaning of a bodily movement to convey an idea or feeling logically extends from the ancient sense of physically carrying out an action or bearing oneself in a particular manner.
Analysis
Structure: gest (to carry, to bear) + ure (noun suffix denoting action or result)
gest comes from latin 'gerere' (to carry, to bear, to conduct). ure is a noun-forming suffix of latin origin, indicating an action, process, or result.
Examples
she made a dismissive gesture with her hand.
the donation was a generous gesture of goodwill.
he gestured for me to sit down.