Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A notable adventure or exploit.
  • noun A verse romance or tale.
  • noun A prose romance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To tell stories or romances.
  • noun Bearing; carriage of one's person; deportment.
  • noun Gesture.
  • noun A Middle English form of guest.
  • noun That which is done; an act, deed, or achievement.
  • noun A tale of achievement or adventure; a story; a romance.
  • noun A stage, rest, or stop in traveling: same as gist.
  • noun A list of the several stages of a journey; an itinerary; specifically, a roll or journal of the several days and stages prearranged for a royal progress in England. Many such gests are extant in the heralds' office.
  • A simplified spelling of guest.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete A guest.
  • noun obsolete A stage in traveling; a stop for rest or lodging in a journey or progress; a rest.
  • noun obsolete A roll recting the several stages arranged for a royal progress. Many of them are extant in the herald's office.
  • noun obsolete Something done or achieved; a deed or an action; an adventure.
  • noun obsolete An action represented in sports, plays, or on the stage; show; ceremony.
  • noun obsolete A tale of achievements or adventures; a stock story.
  • noun Archaic Gesture; bearing; deportment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A gesture or action.
  • noun archaic A story or adventure; a verse or prose romance.
  • noun obsolete A stage in travelling; a stop for rest or lodging in a journey; a rest.
  • noun obsolete A roll reciting the several stages arranged for a royal progress.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English geste; see jest.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French geste.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Compare gist a resting place.

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Examples

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  • JM is on a quest for a gest with a guest wearing a vest from the west (lest he be a pest).

    February 17, 2011