Tourette's syndrome
noun
Tou·rette's syndrome tu̇-ˈrets- 
variants or Tourette syndrome
tu̇-ˈret-
: a familial neurological disorder of variable expression that is characterized by recurrent involuntary tics involving body movements (such as eye blinks or grimaces) and vocalizations (such as grunts or utterance of inappropriate words), often has one or more associated conditions (such as obsessive-compulsive disorder), is more common in males than females, and usually has an onset in childhood and often stabilizes or ameliorates in adulthood
Word History
Etymology
Georges Gille de la Tourette †1904 French physician
First Known Use
1970, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
Tourette's syndrome
noun
variants or Tourette syndrome
: a familial neuropsychiatric disorder of variable expression that is characterized by multiple recurrent involuntary tics involving body movements (as eye blinks, grimaces, or knee bends) and vocalizations (as grunts, snorts, or utterance of inappropriate words), that often has one or more associated behavioral or psychiatric conditions (as attention deficit disorder or obsessive-compulsive behavior), that is more common in males than females, and that usually has an onset in childhood and often stabilizes or ameliorates in adulthood —abbreviation TS
called also Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, Tourette's disease, Tourette's disorder