[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/tic/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [T](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/t/) / tic

# tic

noun (a tic, tics)

«tic» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A tic is a sudden movement or sound that a person makes again and again without meaning to, like blinking, shrugging, sniffing or clearing the throat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/#m1)
2. A tic can be a habit in how someone talks or acts, like always saying «like» (a verbal tic). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/#m2)

### In the lessons

In health and PSHE lessons, children may learn that tics are common in childhood, often come and go, and can be part of Tourette's syndrome; people with tics cannot simply stop, so they should never be teased or copied. In writing, a «verbal tic» is a habit word. Phrases: «a nervous tic», «a verbal tic», «motor tic».

### Examples

- He has a tic that makes him blink a lot. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/#x1)
- Tics are not something you can just stop. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/#x2)
- My friend with Tourette's has vocal tics. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/#x3)
- Her verbal tic is saying «basically» all the time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/#x4)
- The tic gets worse when he is tired or stressed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/#x5)
- We never laugh at someone's tic. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/#x6)

### Note

Homophone trap: «tic» (a twitch) and «tick» (a ✓ mark, a clock sound, or a small biting creature) sound the same.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «tic» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tic/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tic» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tic.html) on Mova free.