1. a sudden, involuntary muscle contraction or movement, especially of the face or head
Usage: medical
2. a habitual or characteristic behavior or mannerism

Examples

• He developed a nervous tic in his left eye.
• The stress caused a facial tic that lasted for weeks.
• Her tic of tapping her fingers became more noticeable during exams.
• The doctor explained that tics are common in children and often disappear with age.
• His verbal tic of saying ‘you know’ made his speeches difficult to follow.
• She had a tic of adjusting her glasses whenever she felt nervous.