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Multiple realities
(covers information from several alternate timelines)
Club Ingenue maitre d'

A maitre d' gesturing guests over

Cadet uniform, 2366

The gesture of Mitena Haro

Hippies peace sign

Two hippies using a gesture

A gesture was a form of body language. Species known for making a massive use of gestures for communication include the Ferengi, the Tak Tak, and the Ventu. (TNG: "The Last Outpost"; VOY: "Macrocosm", "Natural Law") The Q were also known for their gestures. (TNG: "True Q")

Speaking with a metaphor, a "gesture of good will", "gesture of trust", or "gesture of peace" was an important signal when making first contact or to save the day. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice", "Cease Fire", "Rajiin"; TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver"; TNG: "Angel One", "Evolution", "The Enemy", "Sins of The Father", "The Wounded"; DS9: "Battle Lines"; VOY: "Heroes and Demons", "Alliances", "Think Tank", "Drive", "Critical Care")

T'Pol briefed Captain Archer about the correct behavior when meeting the Vulcan monks at the monastery at P'Jem including the conclusion of their visit, the offer of the Stone of J'Kah as a gesture of salutation. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident")

The handshake was used by Humans as a greeting. (Star Trek: First Contact; ENT: "Fortunate Son", "Cold Front"; VOY: "Ex Post Facto")

The Arkonians said a wordless "yes" with the gesture of shaking their head sideways twice. (ENT: "Dawn")

In the mirror universe, Soval advised T'Pol that it was not wise to make such a gesture when she raised her hand for a Vulcan salute upon meeting him. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II")

The Capellans acted as a result of typical gestures. James T. Kirk took a piece of fruit, and Leonard McCoy then told him that the nearest male relative of the woman offering him the fruit would try to kill him. (TOS: "Friday's Child")

The master thrall of Triskelion, Galt, was able to let his drill thralls experience levels of pain without any gesture. (TOS: "The Gamesters of Triskelion")

When posing as a judge, Q commanded the crowd in the courtroom to sit down with a hand gesture. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")

Additionally, each Q seemed to have a different gesture they used to "activate" their omnipotent abilities. For example, Q usually snapped his fingers, whereas Quinn would gesture upwards with two fingers extended. Q (female) seemed to forego using gestures, instead simply using her powers without them.

Starfleet commanding officers made a typical gesture when calling for "mute" of the communications channel or viewscreen. (TNG: "The Outrageous Okona"; VOY: "The Cloud")

Data once explained, "The use of gestures and hand signals predates the spoken word in most cultures." (TNG: "Loud As A Whisper")

Lal learned that "Humans like to hold hands. It is a symbolic gesture of affection." (TNG: "The Offspring")

An alien posing as Bolian Starfleet cadet Mitena Haro made a specific gesture with her hands. (TNG: "Allegiance")

T'Pol and vulcan elder

T'Pol's gesture

This gesture became well known several years after this episode was filmed as the trademark of German chancellor Angela Merkel, nicknamed the Merkel-Raute. T'Pol did a similar gesture while sitting on the floor in the monastery at P'Jem in the episode "The Andorian Incident".

Jean-Luc Picard moved his thumb past his throat as a gesture for Lieutenant Worf to cut audio pickup on the bridge so that Reginald Barclay who had a neural scan interface with the USS Enterprise-D's computer could not hear him giving an order. (TNG: "The Nth Degree")

When Ronin placed a camellia on Felisa Howard's grave during her funeral, Beverly Crusher noticed this as a very personal gesture. (TNG: "Sub Rosa")

Jadzia Dax told Pel about a sweet gesture of Quark when he recreated her child bedroom for her in a holosuite, until he tried to kiss her. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition")

Kira Nerys and Miles O'Brien encountered two hippies in the 1960s San Francisco who greeted them with a typical gesture. (DS9: "Past Tense, Part II")

Quark interpreted the anonymous bid during the auction of his body parts as appreciation and gratitude of the Grand Nagus Zek. (DS9: "Body Parts")

When Worf was still wearing the crest of the House of Mogh, Jadzia Dax called it a sentimental gesture. (DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited")

The termination implant attached to the brain stem of Vorta operatives by the Dominion was triggered by hand with a gesture that applied pressure with the index finger behind the right earlobe and the thumb under the jaw. (DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River")

The Tarkannan species used different styles of gestures for the word "hello". (VOY: "Innocence")

The Clown called Janeway's appearance in Viorsa's virtual reality program an "extraordinary gesture". (VOY: "The Thaw")

When Tom Paris brought B'Elanna Torres into his Camaro's garage in the holodeck program Paris Program Alpha-1, he called it a symbolic gesture to "let her in". (VOY: "Vis à Vis")

The Borg drone One specified the term "joke" as "a verbal comment or gesture designed to provoke laughter." (VOY: "One")

Kieran made a hand gesture showing "rabbit ears" when posing for a photograph. (VOY: "11:59")

Seven of Nine added to her kiss on The Doctor's cheek that it was a platonic gesture. (VOY: "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy")

Gestures associated with Star Trek are the Vulcan salute and Jean-Luc Picard's face-palm.
In the final draft script of ENT: "Fallen Hero" but not in that episode itself, Admiral Forrest commented on Human-Vulcan relations by telling Captain Archer that delivering Ambassador V'Lar from the planet Mazar to the Vulcan ship Sh'Raan would be "a nice gesture." Archer dryly responded with the rhetorical question, "Why are we the ones always making the gestures?"

Named gestures[]

See also[]

External link[]

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