tic
/tɪk/
noun
- A sudden, quick, repeated movement or sound that a person cannot control, often caused by a nervous condition.
- Her facial tic became more noticeable when she was stressed.
- Some people develop a vocal tic, like clearing their throat repeatedly.
- The boy had a nervous tic that made him blink his eyes rapidly.
- A small, repeated habit or quirk in someone's behavior.
- The actor's character had a tic of adjusting his glasses nervously.
- Her verbal tic was saying 'you know' after every sentence.
- He had a tic of tapping his pen on the desk while thinking.