LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefourth declension

gestus

gestus m (genitive gestūs)
Classical[ˈɡɛs.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈd͡ʒɛs.tus]

Meaning

  1. masculinecarriage, posture, attitude (of the body)
  2. masculinegesture
  3. masculineaction

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativegestusgestūs
genitivegestūsgestuum
dativegestuīgestibus
accusativegestumgestūs
ablativegestūgestibus
vocativegestusgestūs

gestus, a, um, Part., from gero.
gestus, ūs, m. gero.
I. Lit. (the bearing, i. e. motion of the body, or of a part of the body, esp. of the hand or arm), carriage, posture, attitude, motion, gesture (class.; cf. actus).
A. In gen.: gestum imitari, Lucr. 4, 343; cf. ib. 367: a forma removeatur omnis viro non dignus ornatus, et huic simile vitium in gestu motuque caveatur, Cic. Off. 1, 36, 130: nunc gestus mihi vultusque est capiundus novus, Ter. Phorm. 5, 6, 50: hoc quidem Zeno gestu conficiebat, Cic. Ac. 2, 47, 145: gratificatur mihi gestu accusator, id. Balb. 6, 14: gestum manus Ceycis habebat, Ov. M. 11, 673: ab avium gestu gestuque, motion, Suet. Aug. 7: quo gestu gallina secetur, Juv. 5, 124.—Plur.: nec flecti cervix nec brachia reddere gestus, Nec pes ire potest, Ov. M. 6, 308.—
B. In partic., a gesture, gesticulation of actors or orators according to the rules of art: numquam agit hunc versum Roscius eo gestu, quo potest, sed abjicit prorsus, Cic. de Or. 3, 26, 102; cf. id. Quint. 24, 77: gestus histrionis, id. Att. 6, 1, 8: convenit igitur in gestu nec venustatem conspiciendam nec turpitudinem esse, ne aut histriones aut operarii videamur esse, Auct. Her. 3, 15, 26; cf.: vox et gestus subito sumi et aliunde arripi non potest, Cic. de Or. 1, 59, 252: omnis actio in duas partes divisa, vocem gestumque, Quint. 11, 3, 14; id. 2, 59, 242: tardiore et consideratiore gestu uti, Auct. Her. 3, 15, 27: jactantior, Cael. ap. Quint. 11, 1, 51: acer atque instans, Quint. 11, 3, 92: certus sed paulo productior, id. ib.: comicus magis quam oratorius, id. ib. 125 et saep.—Plur.: histrionum nonnulli gestus ineptiis non vacant, Cic. Off. 1, 36, 130: alterni, Quint. 6, 3, 65: breves, id. 11, 3, 100: quae (concinnitas) verborum collocationem illuminat his luminibus, quae Graeci quasi aliquos gestus orationis σχήματα appellant, Cic. Or. 25, 83; Quint. 9, 1, 13; and without quasi, Gell. 11, 13, 10: Urbicus risum movet gestibus Autonoes, Juv. 6, 72.—
II. (Acc. to gero, II. B. 3.) A management, administration (post-class.), Dig. 26, 10, 3, § 9; ib. 7, 23; ib. 5, § 2.

Origins

Action noun from gerō + -tus.

Descendants
  • Catalangest
  • Englishgesture
  • Frenchgeste
  • GermanGeste
  • Italiangesto
  • Portuguesegesto
  • Romaniangest
  • Spanishgesto
  • Galicianxesto
  • Hungariangesztus

Quick answers

What does gestus mean in Latin?
gestus, a noun, means “carriage, posture, attitude (of the body); gesture; action”.
What is the genitive of gestus?
The genitive singular is gestūs. gestus is masculine, fourth declension.
How do you pronounce gestus?
In classical Latin, [ˈɡɛs.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈd͡ʒɛs.tus].