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The art of moving the hands in oratory or in pantomime; gesture [Obs.]

Covering for the human body; dress; vestments; vesture; -- a general term for whatever covering is worn, or is made to be worn, for decency or comfort. She . . . speaks well, and has excellent good clothes. Shak. If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. Mark. v. 28.

hapen, or inappropriate; as, a clumsy person; a clumsy workman; clumsy fingers; a clumsy gesture; a clumsy excuse. But thou in clumsy verse, unlicked, unpointed, Hast shamefully defied the Lord's anointed. Dryden.

The habit or vesture of an order of men, indicating the order or office; cloth. Men of his coat should be minding their prayers. Swift. She was sought by spirits of richest coat. Shak.

not be under the restraints of it. Tillotson. -- To cry out, to proclaim; to shout."Your gesture cries it out." Shak. -- To cry quits, to propose, or declare, the abandonment of a contest. -- To cry up, to enhance the value or reputation of by public and noisy praise; to extol; to laud publicly or urgently.…

variance; discordance; dissimilarity; contrariety. There hath been ever a discrepance of vesture of youth and age, men and women. Sir T. Elyot. There is no real discrepancy between these two genealogies. G. S. Faber.

Inordinate; disorderly. [Obs.] "With disordinate gestures." Prynne.

s of the fowler. In catching of dotterels we see how the foolish bird playeth the ape in gestures. Bacon.

The quality of being droll; sportive tricks; buffoonery; droll stories; comical gestures or manners. The rich drollery of "She Stoops to Conquer." Macaulay.

esentation, shown in pantomime. "Inexplicable dumb shows and noise." Shak. (b) Signs and gestures without words; as, to tell a story in dumb show. -- To strike dumb, to confound; to astonish; to render silent by astonishment; or, it may be, to deprive of the power of speech.

Oratorical or expressive delivery, including the graces of intonation, gesture, etc.; style or manner of speaking or reading in public; as, clear, impressive elocution. "The elocution of a reader." Whately

o manifest plainly; to show in general; to exhibit, as an opinion or feeling, by a look, gesture, and esp. by language; to declare; to utter; to tell. My words express my purpose. Shak. They expressed in their lives those excellent doctrines of morality. Addison.

eeling, etc.; significant and impressive indication, whether by language, appearance, or gesture; that manner or style which gives life and suggestive force to ideas and sentiments; as, he reads with expression; her performance on the piano has expression. The imitators of Shakespeare, fixing their attention on his won…

lay one part over another part of; to double; as, to fold cloth; to fold a letter. As a vesture shalt thou fold them up. Heb. i. 12.

Whatever is prepared for use or wear; manufactured stuff or material. Clad in a vesture of unknown gear. Spenser.

Gesture; bearing; deportment. [Archaic] Through his heroic grace and honorable gest. Spenser.

Relating to bodily motion; consisting of gestures; -- said especially with reference to dancing. Carried away by the enthusiasm of the gestic art. Sir W. Scott.

To make gestures or motions, as in speaking; to use postures. Sir T. Herbert.

The act of gesticulating, or making gestures to express passion or enforce sentiments.

Representing by, or belonging to, gestures. T. Warton.