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Jab |
The hand is pushed into the ribs as if poking (jabbing) oneself. |
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Jack-O-Lantern |
The head, representing the Jack-O-Lantern is framed by both hands. |
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Jacket |
The signer imitates the motion of putting on a jacket. |
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Jagged |
The signer uses a hand to make a zig-zag motion down the front of the body. |
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Jam |
Both hands are raised to shoulder height and then pushed forward while being brought together as in demonstrating a tight spot. |
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Jamaica |
The left hand is held palm down at chest level. The right hand, with fingers held together, runs along the right side of the left hand, around the fingertips, and along the little finger edge. (Showing the shape of the island). |
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Japan |
The index fingers and thumbs of both hands form a triangle. Both hands are moved apart and the fingers close together until touching, signifying the shape of the islands on the map. |
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Jar |
One hand is curved to form the shape of a cylinder and then brought down on top of the other hand which is held flat, palm facing upward. The flat hand is then made into the cylinder shape and the other hand makes a twisting motion above it, as if removing the lid from a jar. |
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Jaw |
Both hands directly trace the outline of the jaw. |
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Jealous |
The tip of the index finger is bitten. |
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Jeans |
Both hands outline the shape of the legs on a pair of jeans. |
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Jello (TM) |
The downturned right hand, in the shape of a claw, is held over the upturned left palm. The right hand shakes, as in the shaking of gelatin. |
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Jelly |
The little finger of the right 'J'  hand moves two times across the upturned left palm. |
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Jesus |
With fingers extended, the left middle finger touches the right palm, and then the right middle finger touches the left palm as in indicating the marks of the crucifixion. |
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Jet |
The hand is shaped and moved to indicate a flying airplane. |
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Jewelry |
The hands trace the neck and the wrist, indicating a necklace and a bracelet. |
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Job |
Both 'S'  hands are held palms down. The right hand strikes against the back of the left a number of times. |
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Jog |
The signer moves both arms as is done when one is jogging. |
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Join |
Both hands, held in the modified '5'  position, palms out, move toward each other. The thumbs and index fingers of both hands then connect. |
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Joke |
The right 'X'  finger rests on the nose. Without leaving the nose, it pulls the head with it as it moves down slightly. |
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Jolly |
Both '5' hands, palms facing the signer, are placed on either side of the face. The fingers wiggle back and forth while the signer wears a happy expression. |
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Journey |
Both 'D'  hands are held one above the other with index fingers pointing towards each other. In this position the fingers hands move in a series of counter-clockwise circles as they move from right to left. |
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Joy
(glad, happy, merry) |
The open right hand, palm facing the body, strikes the heart repeatedly, moving up and off the heart after each strike. |
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Joystick |
The little finger edge of the right fist rests in the upturned left palm. It rocks from left to right and forward to back. |
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Judge
(noun & verb) |
The two 'F'  hands, palms facing each other, move alternately up and down. |
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Juggle |
The signer mimics juggling several objects. |
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Juice |
The signer pretends to drink from a glass then uses the same hand to spell the letter 'J' |
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Jumbo |
Both 'L'  hands, palms facing away from the signer, are placed in front of the face and separated widely. |
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Jump |
The right index and middle fingers stand on the left palm, and are then moved up quickly as though they had jumped. |
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Jump over |
The curved index and middle fingers of the right hand, palm facing down, are lifted up and over the index finger of the left hand, whose palm faces right. |
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Jump rope |
The signer pretends to jump rope. |
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Jump start |
The down-turned 'V'  hands clamp down on imaginary terminals of a car battery. |
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Junior
(college student) |
The left index finger taps the palm of the right hand. |
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Junk |
This word is simply finger-spelled   
It is often is abbreviated to just the 'J' and 'K' letters.
|
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Just |
The right index finger is held above the left index finger. It then comes down rather forcefully so that the bottom of the right hand stops on top of the left thumb, with both index fingers still extended. |
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Just a moment ago |
The right 'D' hand, palm facing the body, is placed in the palm of the left hand, which is facing right. The right hand swings back a bit toward the body, with the index finger describing an arc. |
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Just now |
The tip of the thumb of the closed right hand brushes off the tip of the curved right index finger. The right hand then opens into the '5' position, palm facing the body, and swings back over the right shoulder. |
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Justice |
The two 'F' hands, palms facing each other, move up and down alternately to depict the movement of scales (Justice scales). |
