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Definition of tic
1 : local and habitual spasmodic motion of particular muscles especially of the face : twitching
2 : a frequent usually unconscious quirk of behavior or speech “you know” is a verbal tic
From the M-W Editors
Examples of tic in a Sentence
The verbal tic “you know” often occurs in her speech.
constantly playing with her hair is one of her more annoying tics
Recent Examples of tic from the Web
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Approximately 10 percent of people who develop brain swelling and meningitis die, and almost half of those who survive have permanent neurological damage, which includes blurred vision, facial tics and memory problems.
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TIC Gums was not immediately available for comment.
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The driveway is covered with chalk tic-tac-toe games, bicycles and, by the front door, some forgotten plastic Easter eggs.
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But as writer Nick Douglas recently highlighted in Lifehacker, linguists have another explanation for uptalk, one that positions it not as a verbal tic, but as a valuable tool of communication.
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His clean prose style is occasionally marred by the journalistic tic of following up a declarative sentence with a supporting quote that says exactly the same thing.
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During this session, kids will build a wooden tic-tac-toe game to take home, plus receive a free Kids Workshop apron and commemorative pin.
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Go for the Metropolitan for a pizza that looks like a tic-tac-toe board; the Anarchy, which slashes pizza into random shapes and sizes; or The Ninja, in which the pizza is cut back and forth with a pizza cutting wheel.
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Obviously, somebody who knew Reynolds enough to tease her for that verbal tic got her that pillow.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of tic
French
Other Psychology Terms
TIC Defined for English Language Learners
tic
playDefinition of tic for English Language Learners
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: a small repeated movement of a muscle especially in the face that cannot be controlled
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: a word or phrase that someone frequently says or an action that someone frequently does without intending to
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about tic
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See words that rhyme with tic Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tic Spanish Central: Translation of tic Nglish: Translation of tic for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tic
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