If you gesticulate, you make movements with your arms or hands, often while you are describing something that is difficult to express in words. A man with a paper hat upon his head was gesticulating wildly The architect was gesticulating at a hole in the ground. + gesticulation gesticulations ges·ticu·la·tion We communicated mainly by signs, gesticulation and mime. to make movements with your arms and hands, usually while speaking, because you are excited, angry, or cannot think of the right words to use = gesture (past participle of gesticulari, from gestus; GESTURE)