Tic Meaning
/tɪk/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA sudden, nonrhythmic motor movement or vocalization.
nounSomething that is done or produced habitually or characteristically.
Sentence Examples
It's a nervous tic.
A tic-tac-toe game is usually played with X's and O's.
CEFR Practice Quiz
He had a nervous ____ in his eye that twitched whenever he felt stressed.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He has a small nervous ____ that makes his eye blink rapidly whenever he is feeling very stressed today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree French ticbor. English tic Borrowed from French tic.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by multiple tics. A tic is a sudden, rapid, repetitive, non-rhythmic movement (e.g. eye blinking) or vocalization (e.g. throat clearing)."
— 2020, Andrea E. Cavanna, Pharmacological Treatment of Tics, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 9:
"Boyle revives some of the stylistic tics which found themselves being ripped off by geezer-gangster Britflicks back in the day, but now the freezeframes are briefer, sharper; the movie itself refers back to the original with variant flashback versions of famous scenes, but also Super 8-type images of the boys’ poignant boyhood in primary school."
— 2017 January 19, Peter Bradshaw, “T2 Trainspotting review – choose a sequel that doesn't disappoint”, in the Guardian:
"Patients often describe the need to tic as the mounting of inner tension, localized either to the body region where the tic is about to occur or throughout the body."
— 2020, Andrea E. Cavanna, Pharmacological Treatment of Tics, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 9:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
He had a nervous ____ in his eye that twitched whenever he felt stressed.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He has a small nervous ____ that makes his eye blink rapidly whenever he is feeling very stressed today.