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Waffle |
Both hands face each other, fingertips forward and interlocked, right above left. The right hand moves down and back up a number of times, representing the cover of the waffle grill. |
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Wait
(pause) |
The upturned '5'  hands are held with the right behind the left. The fingers of both hands wiggle. |
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Waive
(forgo, postpone) |
The right hand wipes off the left palm several times. |
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Wake up |
Both hands are closed, with thumb and index finger of each hand held together, extended, then placed at the corners of the closed eyes. Slowly they separate, and the eyes open. |
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Walk
(step) |
The down turned '5' hands are held in front, then imitate walking by moving each hand forward alternately. |
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Wallet |
The two hands held with fingertips touching are brought together palm to palm and move flat against each other as if closing a wallet. |
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Want |
The upturned '5' hands, held side by side before the chest, close slightly into a grasping position as they move in toward the body. |
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Warm |
The upturned cupped right hand is placed at the slightly open mouth. It moves up and away from the mouth, opening into the upturned '5' position, with fingers somewhat curved. |
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Warn
(caution) |
The right hand taps the back of the left several times. |
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Was
(were) |
The upraised right hand, in the '5' position with palm facing the body, is held just above the right shoulder and is thrown back over it. |
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Wash
(clothes) |
The knuckles of the 'A'  hands rub against one another, in circles. |
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Wash
(bathe) |
The closed hands move up and down against the chest as if scrubbing it. |
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Wash dishes |
The downturned right '5' hand describes a clockwise circle as it moves over the upturned left '5' hand. |
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Waste
(noun & verb) |
The back of the upturned right hand, thumb touching fingertips, is placed in the upturned left palm. The right hand moves off and away from the left once or several times, each time opening into the '5' position, palm up. |
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Watch
(verb) |
The right 'V'  hand, palm facing the body, is placed so that the fingertips are just under the eyes. The hand swing around and out, so that the fingertips are now pointing forward. |
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Watch
(noun) |
The thumb and index finger of the right hand, forming a circle, are placed on the back of the left wrist. |
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Water |
Touch the mouth with the index finger of the right 'W'  hand a few times. |
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We |
The right index finger points down as it swings over from the right shoulder to the left shoulder. |
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Weak
(weakness) |
The right 'V' hand is placed with fingertips resting in the upturned left palm. The knuckles of the 'V' fingers buckle a bit. This motion may be repeated. |
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Wealth
(wealthy) |
The back of the upturned right hand, whose thumb and fingertips are all touching, is placed in the upturned left palm. The right hand then moves straight up, as it opens into the '5' position, palm facing down and fingers somewhat curved. |
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Wear |
With fingertips resting on the chest, both hands move down simultaneously. The action is repeated. |
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Weather |
The right 'W' hand, palm out, moves straight down before the body, trembling slightly as it does. |
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Week |
The upright, right 'D'  hand is placed palm to palm against the left '5' hand, whose palm faces right. The right 'D' hand moves along the left palm from base to fingertips. |
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Welcome |
The open right hand, held up before the body, sweeps down in an arc and over toward the left side of the chest, ending in the palm-up position. Reversing the movement gives the passive form of the verb, except that the hand does not arc upward but rather simply moves outward in a small arc from the body. |
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Well
(healthy) |
Both '5' hands are placed palms against the chest. They move out and away, forcefully, closing and assuming the 'S'  position. |
|
What |
Pass the tip of the right index finger down over the left flat hand from index to little finger. |
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When |
Hold left index finger upright. The right index finger makes a clockwise circle around the left, coming to rest on the left index fingertip. |
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Where |
Hold the right index finger up with palm out. Shake it back and forth from left to right. |
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White |
Place the fingers and thumb of the right curved hand on the chest; then move it forward while simultaneously forming the 'and' hand. |
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Who |
The right index finger traces a small counterclockwise circle in front of the lips which are pursed in the enunciation of the word. |
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Why |
The fingertips of the right hand touch the forehead. Then, move forward while simultaneously forming the 'Y'  hand with palm facing in. |
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Wife |
The thumb of the right 'A' hand moves down along the right jawbone, almost to the chin. The hands are then clasped together, right above left. |
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Wild |
Both 'W' hands, palms facing, describe alternate clockwise circles at the temples. This sign should be accompanied by an appropriate look of agitation, or a threatening look. |
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Wind |
The '5' hand, palms facing and held up before the body, sway gracefully back and forth, in unison. The cheeks meanwhile are puffed up and the breath is being expelled. The nature of the swaying movement--graceful and slow, fast and violent, etc.--determines the type of wind. The strength of exhalation is also a qualifying device. |
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Window |
With both palms facing the body, the little finger edge of the right hand rests atop the index finger edge of the left hand. The right hand then moves straight up and down. |
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Winter
(cold, shiver) |
Both 'S' hands, palms facing, are placed at the sides of the body. In this position the arms and hands shiver. |
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Winter
(the season) |
The upright 'W' hands, palms facing or forward, are brought together forcefully before the body one or two times. |
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Wipe |
The flattened right hand makes a series of clockwise wiping movements against the open left palm. |
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Wisdom
(wise) |
The downturned 'X'  finger moves up and down a short distance as it rests on mid-forehead. |
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Wish
(desire) |
The upturned '5' hands, held side by side before the chest, close slightly into a grasping position as they move in toward the body. |
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Woman |
The thumb of the right 'A' hand moves down along the line of the right jaw, from ear almost to chin. This outlines the string used to tie ladies' bonnets in olden days. This is a root sign to modify many others. The downturned right hand then moves up to a point above the head to indicate the relative height. |
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Word |
The tips of the right index finger and thumb, about an inch apart, are placed on the side of the outstretched left index finger, which represents the length of the sentence. |
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Work
(job) |
With the palms facing down, the wrist of the right 'S' hand touches the wrist of the left 'S' hand several times. |
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World |
The right 'W' hand makes a complete circle around the left 'W' hand and comes to rest on the thumb edge of the left 'W' hand. The left hand frequently assumes the 'S' position instead of the 'W', to represent the stationary sun. |
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Worry
(worried, problem) |
The right fingertips drum against the forehead. The signer frowns somewhat, or looks very concerned. |
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Worth
(worthwhile, valuable, important) |
Both 'F'  hands, palms facing each other, move apart, up, and together in a smooth elliptical fashion, coming together at the tips of the thumbs and index fingers of both hands. |
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Wrap
(a package) |
Both down turned hands, fingers pointing to each other, make a series of alternate clockwise circles, as if spreading wrapping paper around an object. |
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Write |
The right index finger and thumb, grasping an imaginary pen, write across the open left palm. |
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Wrong |
The right 'Y' hand, palm facing the body, is brought up to the chin. |
