tic

noun \ ˈtik \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Examples: tic in a Sentence

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

See tic defined for English-language learners

See tic defined for kids

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

The 1960s were also the great age of pop art, with Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein bringing the stylistic tics of advertising and comic books to canvases.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Philip Roth, the Mandarin Joker," 23 May 2018
The Lightning took the turnover gift, and Brayden Point completed a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with a tap-in goal to tie the game.

— isabelle khurshudyan, chicagotribune.com, "Home is hardly an advantage as Lightning even series vs. Capitals," 18 May 2018
Brandon Polansky plays David, who’s lucky to have rich parents and fancies himself as suave, hiding behind designer sunglasses and trying to pass off his vocal tics as sneezes.

— kerry lengel, azcentral, "'Keep the Change' is a breakthrough for inclusion of actors with autism," 5 Apr. 2018
Jess Thom has Tourette’s Syndrome, a neurological condition best known for producing verbal and physical tics, or involuntary sounds and movements.

— amy wang | the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "11 arts picks: 'Rigoletto,' 'Much Ado About Nothing,' Touretteshero, more," 3 May 2018
Jack White Boarding House Reach (Third Man ***) Going back to his beginnings with his ex-wife Meg in the White Stripes, Jack White has been making music for nearly 20 years now, and his tics and predilections have grown mighty familiar.

— Philly.com, "Album reviews: Jack White, Reuben Studdard and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats," 22 Mar. 2018
Kids can doodle, scribble, draw, and play tic-tac-toe, hangman, or any number of drawing games with these tablets.

— Sunset, "10 Car Games for Kids That Don’t Involve Screens," 22 Jan. 2018
This could enable things like a multiplayer game using a virtual tic-tac-toe board or whatever else a developer wants to cook up.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "Google’s ARCore 1.2 enables multiplayer AR across Android and iOS," 8 May 2018
The visual effects undeniably capture the nuances of Brolin’s facial tics and mannerisms, allowing the actor to shine through all the CGI wizardry.

— bryan bishop, The Verge, "Avengers: Infinity War is stunning, hilarious, and heartbreaking," 24 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1834

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

tic Synonyms

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

TIC Defined for English Language Learners

tic

noun

Definition of tic for English Language Learners

: a small repeated movement of a muscle especially in the face that cannot be controlled
: a word or phrase that someone frequently says or an action that someone frequently does without intending to