What does gesticulate mean?
Word: Gesticulate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Gesticulate means to move your arms and hands around while you speak, to help show what you mean or to catch someone's attention.
How do you spell gesticulate?
Syllables: ges - tic - u - late
Tricky part: It opens with the sound of j, but no j appears. A soft g starts the word, just as it does in giraffe.
Watch out for: jesticulate, jestikulate, gestikulate
Memory tip: Think of a gesture: the word begins the same soft way, so a j has no place at the start.
Gesticulate in a sentence
Example 1: Uncle Prakash tends to gesticulate with both hands whenever he talks about cricket.
Example 2: Some people gesticulate even on the phone, though nobody can see them.
Example 3: Actors in silent films had to gesticulate clearly because the audience heard no words.
Fun Fact
The word goes back to Latin gesticulus, which meant a little gesture, so the idea of small hand movements has been inside it from the start.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
gesticullate
a) l
b) t
c) u
d) c
Show answer
a) l. A single consonant follows the u before the closing ate.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
Unable to shout over the crowd, Meera could only iueatgtlecs to her brother across the hall.
a) gesticulate
b) gravitate
c) germinate
d) generate
Show answer
a) gesticulate. A u, an s and a c all sit in the jumble, and one option alone has the three.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word gesticulate as used in the sentence:
From the far bank, the boatman began to gesticulate wildly at the tourists to keep away from the mud.
a) whisper
b) retreat
c) signal
d) applaud
Show answer
c) signal. He is sending a message with his arms, so signal is the match.
Spell-o-Spell
One word in the list is misspelt. Choose what that word means.
1. gesticulate 2. silhouette 3. rhythm 4. meddow
a) a regular, repeated pattern of beats
b) a dark outline against a light background
c) to wave your arms about as you talk
d) a field of grass and wild flowers
Show answer
d) a field of grass and wild flowers. Meadow has only one d; everything else in this list is correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which guide is gesticulating?
a) one sitting still on the old fort wall
b) one reading softly from a small notebook
c) one sweeping her arms towards the old fort
d) one humming a tune quietly to herself
Show answer
c) one sweeping her arms towards the old fort
2. Which situation would make it hardest to gesticulate?
a) carrying a heavy box in both arms
b) sitting on a chair in a quiet room
c) walking along a wide, empty beach
d) standing on a stage before a crowd
Show answer
a) carrying a heavy box in both arms
