Definition

1. Noun:
   • A rubber covering, typically inflated, that fits around a wheel rim: A tyre is a circular, flexible component that provides a cushion and a gripping surface for a wheel, most commonly used on vehicles.
   • A hoop or band of metal fitted around a wooden wheel: Historically, a tyre (or tire) was a metal band fitted around the rim of a wooden wheel to hold it together and prevent wear.
   • A port city in Lebanon: Tyre is an ancient city in southern Lebanon, historically a major Phoenician seaport.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Vehicle component):
  • I need to replace the worn tyre on my car.
  • The bicycle has a flat tyre.
• Noun (Historical wheel component):
  • The wooden cart wheel was reinforced with an iron tyre.
• Noun (City):
  • The ruins of ancient Tyre are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Advanced Usage

• "to retread a tyre": to renew the tread of a worn tyre.
  • It is often more economical to retread a commercial truck tyre.
• "spare tyre": an extra tyre carried in a vehicle for use in case of a puncture. Informally, it can also refer to excess fat around a person's waist.
  • Make sure the spare tyre is properly inflated. (Literal)
  • He's trying to lose his spare tyre. (Informal, idiomatic)

Variants and Related Words

• Tire: The standard spelling in American English for the wheel component. The spelling "tyre" is standard in British English and other Commonwealth varieties.
• Tyred (adj): Having a specified type or number of tyres (e.g., ).
• Tyre pressure (n): The measure of air inside a tyre, crucial for vehicle safety and efficiency.
• Tyremaker / Tiremaker (n): A manufacturer of tyres.

Synonyms

• For the wheel component: Casing, Rubber (informal).

Related Phrasal Verbs/Compounds

• Tyre out: This is not a standard phrasal verb with "tyre." The verb "to tire" (meaning to become weary) is a different word.
• Tyre kicker (n): (Informal) A person who inspects something (like a car) with no serious intention to buy.

Related Idioms

• "Where the rubber meets the road": Refers to the point where theory is put into practice, deriving from the tyre's contact with the road surface.
  • Our new strategy looks good on paper, but next week is where the rubber meets the road.
• "To have a flat tyre": To have a tyre that has lost its air pressure. Can be used metaphorically for a plan or situation that fails to progress.
  • Our picnic plans had a flat tyre when it started to rain.

Noun

1. hoop that covers a wheel
   • automobile tires are usually made of rubber and filled with compressed air
2. a port in southern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea; formerly a major Phoenician seaport famous for silks