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tic

[ tik ]
/ tÉŞk /
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noun
Pathology.
  1. a sudden, spasmodic, painless, involuntary muscular contraction, as of the face.
  2. tic douloureux.
a persistent or recurrent behavioral trait; personal quirk: her distinctive verbal tics.
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Origin of tic

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tic

tic , tick

Other definitions for tic (2 of 2)

-tic

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.

Origin of -tic

<Greek -tikos, extracted from adjectives derived with -ikos-ic from agent nouns ending in -tēs;cf. hieratic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Š Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tic

tic
/ (tÉŞk) /

noun pathol
spasmodic twitching of a particular group of muscles

Word Origin for tic

C19: from French, of uncertain origin; compare Italian ticche
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Š William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Š HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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