tyre

Meanings

Noun

• The ring-shaped protective covering around a wheel which is usually made of rubber or plastic composite and is either pneumatic or solid.
• The metal rim of a wheel, especially that of a railway vehicle.
• Curdled milk.
• Attire.

Verb

• To fit tyres to (a vehicle).
• To adorn.

Origin

• The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the word derives from attire, while other sources suggest a connection with the verb to tie. The spelling tyre is used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and most current and former Commonwealth nations after being revived in the 19th century. Both tyre and tire were used in the 15th and 16th centuries. The United States did not adopt the revival of tyre, and tire is the only spelling currently used there.
• Borrowed from Tamil தயிர், itself from Sanskrit दधि. dahi.