page_title: List of gestures
section_title: Made with other body parts
hierarchical_section_title: List of gestures / Made with other body parts
caption_attribution_description: The "cutthroat" gesture, self-portrait.
context_page_description: Gestures are a form of nonverbal communication in which visible bodily actions are used to communicate important messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body. Physical non-verbal communication such as purely expressive displays, proxemics, or displays of joint attention differ from gestures, which communicate specific messages. Gestures are culture-specific and may convey very different meanings in different social or cultural settings. Gesture is distinct from sign language. Although some gestures, such as the ubiquitous act of pointing, differ little from one place to another, most gestures do not have invariable or universal meanings, but connote specific meanings in particular cultures. A single emblematic gesture may have very different significance in different cultural contexts, ranging from complimentary to highly offensive.
  This list includes links to pages that discuss particular gestures, as well as short descriptions of some gestures that do not have their own page.
context_section_description: Anasyrma, performed by lifting the skirt or kilt; used in some religious rituals.
  Bowing, lowering the torso or head; a show of respect in many cultures.
  Curtsey, a greeting typically made by women, performed by bending the knees while bowing the head.
  Davai vyp’yem (Russian drinking sign), the index finger is flicked against the side of the neck, just below the jaw.
  Elbow bump, a greeting similar to the handshake or fist bump made by touching elbows. This gesture began to grow in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Eskimo kissing, a gesture in Western cultures loosely based on an Inuit greeting, performed by two people touching noses.
  Facepalm, an expression of frustration or embarrassment made by raising the palm of the hand to the face.
  Genuflection, a show of respect by bending at least one knee to the ground.
  Hand-kissing, a greeting made by kissing the hand of a person worthy of respect.
  Hat tip or doff, a salutation or show of respect made by two people removing their hats.
  Head bobble, an affirmative response or acknowledgement common in India.
  Head shake, indicates a negative reaction to a query or a rejection in English-speaking cultures; also used occasionally in disbelief.
  Headbanging a deep and abrupt shaking of the head, sometimes to whip long hair back and forth. Done in time with music, headbanging is used as a sign of excitement and appreciation of a performance.
  Hongi, a traditional Māori greeting in New Zealand, performed by pressing one's nose and forehead (at the same time) to another person.
  Kowtow, shows respect by bowing deeply and touching one's head to the ground.
  Mooning, a show of disrespect by displaying one's bare buttocks.
  Motorcycling greetings include a leg shake in France.
  Mudra, ritual gestures in Hinduism or Buddhism.
  Namaste is a praying hands gesture usually coupled with a greeting and a head bow.
  Nod, tilting the head up and down that usually indicates assent in Western Europe, North America, and the Indian subcontinent, among other places, but a nod also means the opposite in other places, such as Bulgaria. When shaken once firmly, it is an expression of strong agreement such as "Indeed" or "Yes sir." When shaken quickly the person is indicating a desire to move along with the topic.
  Orant, a gesture made during prayer in which the hands are raised with palms facing outward.
  Puppy face, tilting the head down with eyes looking up, like a puppy; has a number of uses, such as begging for something.
  Putting a slightly cupped hand, with palm down, under the chin and then flicking the fingers out (usually once or twice), a common gesture in Italy for expressing indifference; became the center of a controversy in March 2006, when United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was photographed allegedly making the gesture to illustrate his response to his critics; a Boston Herald reporter misinterpreted it as "obscene" but Scalia later explained that he merely meant "I couldn't care less."
  Shoulder flick, using your fingers to flick off an imaginary speck of dust on your shoulder. Denotes that the effort that was undertaken was hardly worth the trouble entailed.
  Shrug, lifting both shoulders indicates lack of knowledge or concern.  Sometimes the gesture is a palms upwards from bent elbows motion with possible raised eyebrows.
  Sampeah, a Cambodian greeting or gesture of respect made by lining up the palms and fingers together while bowing.
  Scout sign and salute, the use of the three-finger salute by Scout and Guide organizations.
  Sign of the Cross, used in many Christianity rituals, consists of drawing the shape of a cross over one's body or in the air.
  Finger Pentagram, the joining together of the index and second fingers of five people into a pentagram shape, as depicted in the 1996 art piece Untitled by Maurizio Cattelan.
  Thai greeting, or wai, shows respect or reverence by pressing the palms and fingers together.
  Throat slash, made by moving one's index finger, thumb or entire hand, held straight and with palm down, horizontally across one's throat; the gesture imitat
caption: The "cut-throat" or throat slash sign
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