Tou·rette syndrome (to?o-r?t?) or Tou·rette’s syndrome (-r?ts?)n. A neurological disorder characterized by multiple motor and vocal tics, such as blinking, shrugging, sniffing, or repeating phrases. It is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence and often becomes less severe in adulthood. Also called Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.[After Georges Gilles de la Tourette (1857-1904), French physician.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Tourette syndrome (t???r?t) n (Pathology) a brain disorder characterized by involuntary outbursts of swearing, spitting, barking, etc, and sudden involuntary movements. Also called: Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, Tourette’s syndrome or Tourette’s [C20: named after Georges Gilles de la Tourette (1857?1904), French neurologist]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014