Она жестом отказалась, а потом вдруг передумала.

Она махнула рукой в знак отказа, а потом вдруг передумала.

Она жестом указала на дверь, а потом передумала. (?)
Она начальница и хотела кого-то уволить.

Как обычно, хочется контекста)))

Не дождетесь. Это просто пример из учебника на changed her mind. Все остальное неважно.

Первое, что мне пришло в голову, это "свободен / можешь идти / пошел прочь"

dismissal -увольнение? моё предположение такое же-свободен, уволен.

Точно. Указательный палец = "уходи"
https://www.google.com/search?q=gesture+of+dismissal&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X

моё предположение такое же-свободен, уволен

увольнение - слишком серьезное дело, чтобы обойтись жестом без слов.

Ну, когда она передумала, она тоже что-то сказала. Не безмолвно же)

Оказывается, Елена уже предлагала правильный вариант - указала на дверь

Но для важной особы я могу представить что-нибудь более небрежное, легкий взмах руки = "свободен"

указала на дверь - это был мой вариант. ) смотрите выше

Прошу прощения

ничего страшного. Грамблер, если мой вариант правильный - добавьте, пожалуйста, я буду только рада ))

A gesture of dismissal is when you wave your hand at something as if to say “that’s not important” or “I don’t care”

значит просто махнула рукой) вариант Татьяны ближе.

Она, было, отмахнулась, а потом вдруг передумала. ¿

I think this is a one-time action.

English quiz ))

I think this is a one-time action.

А кто сказал иначе?
Однако, это не единственное значение.

The Prince arrested his thumb as he was lifting up a pinch of snuff. He made a gesture of dismissal and the Governor retired.

Grumbler: Tatiana wrote БЫЛО, which I believe expresses repetition. I may be wrong.

We’re talking about two different dismissals here: (1) the first is a gesture where you hold the hand up as if to say hi and then quickly move it downward from the wrist. That’s used to say that someone or something isn’t important, doesn’t matter, is worthless; (2) the second is a gesture that starts with the hand completely limp from the wrist and you move the fingers up quickly one or two times. This gesture is used to dismiss someone from your presence - like a king to a servant. In this post, the first gesture is being referred to. In your example, the prince is giving the second one.

ты путаешь с "бывало"
"было, отмахнулась" ≈ сначала отмахнулась

You’re right! Ok 👍🏼

In this post, the first gesture is being referred to.

How do you know?

и, если "бывало", то "отмахивалась"

Because she didn’t give SOMEONE a gesture of dismissal, she just gave one. You can give the first one without even directing it at anything or anyone in particular. The second one requires a person to dismiss.

Say your brother offended you and you got into an argument. Now you feel bad and you walk towards the phone, intending to call him and apologize. But on the way to the phone, you remember what was said and realize you have nothing to apologize for, so you make the first gesture AT THE VERY IDEA of calling your brother, turn around and go back to your chair.

Because she didn’t give SOMEONE a gesture of dismissal

Neither did the prince in my example. This was just implied.

I can imagine that she could make such gesture and then, when the other person was in their way out, changed her mind and said something.

— He made a gesture of dismissal and THE GOVERNOR retired.

This is very clear to me and I think I explained it fully. I just don’t know how to say it in Russian. I‘m not about to argue about it - I can picture exactly wat she did in my head. Translate it how you see fit.

Thanks.
I am not convinced completely, but this isn't worth discussing further, especially as nobody here needs the accurate translation. This was just an example for "changed her mind"

👍🏼

The moment I saw this question, "shrug off" popped up in my head.

Shrug off is different. That’s when you raise and drop both shoulders at the same time to mean (1) I don’t know; or (2) Why should I care?

Trust me, this is the first gesture I described above. If it was the second, it would contain a person: “She GAVE HIM/HER/THEM a gesture of dismissal and then quickly changed her mind.”

Just like in Grumbler’s example: the prince gave (THE GOVERNOR) a gesture of dismissal and the governor retired.

OK, "shrug off" is incorrect. Anyway, I think I got the idea. I meant that I didn't see any "dismissal from job".
Curiously, the particle было is what's left from the old-Russian plusquamperfect(!). It's used to talk about actions that started or were about to start, but didn't finish.
Он хотел/собирался, было позвонить брату и извиниться, но передумал.

He started to call his brother to apologize, but then thought better of it. 👍🏼

Funny enough, I just read this in an article and imagined the first gesture too: Мне 38 лет, из которых 10 прожила в интернате для инвалидов (я колясочник), честно тогда просто махнула на всё рукой и решила, судьба такая, жить в одиночестве среди бабушек и дедушек, так как интернат был совмещён с домом пристарелых и молодёжи почти не было.

They have a mistake - it should be престарелых.
Exactly. The gesture is like you described above, like she gave up on her life.

👍🏼

🙏

Thank you, everybody! Not only that I got an answer to my question, but I was introduced to lots of fine aspects of English language.

👍🏼 😉