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

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All three brothers have Tourette’s but none of them show any tics during the interview. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024 Naturally, the always Mary Katherine also had to share her signature tic with the VP: Shoving her hands under her armpits and then sniffing her fingers. Christian Holub, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 In a sketch mocking Céline Dion’s recent, inexplicable promo for Sunday Night Football, the chameleonic chanteuse absolutely nails Dion’s French Canadian accent, inflections, vocal tics, and confidence. Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024 Never mind caring about any of these characters, a word that should technically be in scare quotes here, though kudos to the cast for being so nimble in switching personality traits, defining tics and signature cadences on a dime. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tic 

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

circa 1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tic was circa 1834

Dictionary Entries Near tic

Cite this Entry

“Tic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tic. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tic

noun
1
: a regularly repeated twitching movement of a particular muscle and especially one of the face
2
: a particular form of behavior or speech that is often repeated
"you know" is a verbal tic

Medical Definition

tic

noun
1
: local and habitual spasmodic motion of particular muscles especially of the face : twitching
2
: a habitual usually unconscious quirk of behavior or speech

More from Merriam-Webster on tic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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