tire
verbnounverbverbnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈtaɪ̯ə(ɹ)//
- United States//ˈtaɪ̯ɚ//
- United States/[ˈtʰaɪ̯ɚ]/
- //ˈtɑːɚ//
- //ˈtʌɪ̯ɚ//
To become sleepy or weary.
verb
- 1
To become sleepy or weary.
As Moldova understandably tired after a night of ball chasing, Everton left-back Baines scored his first international goal as his deflected free-kick totally wrong-footed Namasco.
- 2
To make sleepy or weary.
- 3
To become bored or impatient (with).
I tire of this book.
- 4
To bore.
Etymology
From Middle English tiren, tirien, teorien, from Old English tȳrian, tēorian (“to fail, cease, become weary, be tired, exhausted; tire, weary, exhaust”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *teuʀōn (“to cease”), which is possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dews- (“to fail, be behind, lag”). Compare Ancient Greek δεύομαι (deúomai, “to lack”), Sanskrit दोष (dóṣa, “crime, fault, vice, deficiency”).
noun
- 1
US and Canada spelling of tyre: The rubber covering on a wheel.
- 2
A child's apron covering the upper part of the body, and tied with tape or cord; a pinafore. Also tier.
- 3
obsoleteAccoutrements, accessories.
the tire of war
- 4
obsoleteDress, clothes, attire.
Ne spared they to strip her naked all. / Then when they had despoild her tire and call, / Such as she was, their eyes might her behold.
men like apes follow the fashions in tires, gestures, actions: if the king laugh, all laugh […].
- 5
A covering for the head; a headdress.
And on her head she wore a tyre of gold,
- 6
Variant of tyreUS spelling of tyre: The metal rim of a wheel, especially that of a railroad locomotive.
Etymology
Probably from Middle English tir(e) (“equipment, furnshings, ornament”). See the details at tyre.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo dress or adorn.
[Jezebel] painted her face, and tired her head.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo seize, pull, and tear prey, as a hawk does.
Even as an empty eagle, sharp by fast, / Tires with her beak on feathers, flesh, and bone.
I grieve myself / To think, when thou shalt be disedged by her / That now thou tirest on, how thy memory / Will then be pang'd by me.
Ye dregs of baseness, vultures amongst men, / That tire upon the hearts of generous spirits.
- 2
obsoleteTo seize, rend, or tear something as prey; to be fixed upon, or engaged with, anything.
and now doth gaſtly death With greedie talients gripe my bleeding hart, And like a Harpye tires on my life.
Thus made she her remove, / And left wrath tyring on her son.
Upon that were my thoughts tiring.
Etymology
From Middle English tire, from Old French tirer (“to draw or pull”), akin to English tear (“to rend”).
noun
- 1
A tier, row, or rank.
In posture to displode their second tire / Of thunder.
Forms
- plural
- tires
- past tense
- tired
- past participle
- tired
- present participle
- tiring
- third person singular
- tires