tic

¹

[tik]

noun

1. Pathology.

   1. a sudden, spasmodic, painless, involuntary muscular contraction, as of the face.

   2. tic douloureux.

2. a persistent or recurrent behavioral trait; personal quirk.

   her distinctive verbal tics.

-tic

²

1. a suffix, equivalent in meaning to -ic, occurring in adjectives of Greek origin (analytic ), used especially in the formation of adjectives from nouns with stems in -sis: hematotic; neurotic.

tic

/ tɪk /

noun

1. spasmodic twitching of a particular group of muscles

2. See tic douloureux

Word History and Origins

Origin of tic¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; from French (of expressive origin)

Origin of tic²

< Greek -tikos, extracted from adjectives derived with -ikos -ic from agent nouns ending in -tēs; hieratic

Word History and Origins

Origin of tic¹

C19: from French, of uncertain origin; compare Italian ticche

Example Sentences

The TIC model often comes in the form of developers replacing single-family homes with townhouses, splitting one house into two.

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She also visited some small studios and considered purchasing a TIC, or Tenancy in Common, where buyers purchase a share in a corporation that owns a building.

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Jessica was still living and working in the same area as her mum brought her anxiety and she lived with a tic, which a doctor told her had been triggered by trauma.

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Chris used to have a grim, distinctive tic of executing his enemies in the head; now, the climactic battle is just a spray of bullets.

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Odder still, Ahn has a too-clever tic of cutting away from big confrontations.

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Related Words

• twitch