Skip to content

tic

tic, nervous habit

noun TEEK Rare
Body & Health Movement

Also means

tick (insect)

Usage Note

Tic most commonly refers to an involuntary habitual movement or mannerism — un tic nerveux (a nervous tic). It also means the parasitic insect 'tick' in entomology, though tique (f) is the more standard spelling for the bug. Tic as a nervous habit is the more frequent everyday usage.

Examples

"Il a un tic nerveux qui le fait cligner des yeux."

Natural Translation

He has a nervous tic that makes him blink.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic