Are the "signs" used by the deaf in sign language "symbols" or "words"? Or are they "word symbols"?

Let me put it this way. ASL (American sign language) is a language that uses gestures rather than speech for its utterances. It is nowhere near a siomple mapping of English to gesture (though there is a signing system called exact signed English which most deaf people I've met disdain).

I've studied a little ASL. I've read linguistics papers about ASL. I've discussed ASL with fluent and native speakers, both hearing and deaf.

Hard to say if ASL gestures are words or symbols. Are these two mutually exclusive? But I can definitely say the ASL is not English, spoken or otherwisa.