Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Tire?

\Tire\, n. A tier, row, or rank. See {Tier}. [Obs.] In posture to displode their second tire Of thunder. --Milton.
\Tire\, n. [Aphetic form of attire; OE. tir, a tir. See {Attire}.] 1. Attire; apparel. [Archaic] ``Having rich tire about you.'' --Shak. 2. A covering for the head; a headdress. On her head she wore a tire of gold. --Spenser. 3. A child's apron, covering the breast and having no sleeves; a pinafore; a tier. 4. Furniture; apparatus; equipment. [Obs.] ``The tire of war.'' --Philips. 5. [Probably the same word, and so called as being an attire or covering for the wheel.] A hoop or band, as of metal, on the circumference of the wheel of a vehicle, to impart strength and receive the wear. Note: The iron tire of a wagon wheel or cart wheel binds the fellies together. The tire of a locomotive or railroad-car wheel is a heavy hoop of iron or steel shrunk tightly upon an iron central part. The wheel of a bicycle has a tire of India rubber.
\Tire\, v. t. To adorn; to attire; to dress. [Obs.] [Jezebel] painted her face, and tired her head. --2 Kings ix. 30.
\Tire\, v. i. [F. tirer to draw or pull; of Teutonic origin, and akin to E. tear to rend. See {Tirade}.] 1. To seize, pull, and tear prey, as a hawk does. [Obs.] Even as an empty eagle, sharp by fast, Tires with her beak on feathers, flesh, and bone. --Shak. Ye dregs of baseness, vultures among men, That tire upon the hearts of generous spirits. --B. Jonson. 2. To seize, rend, or tear something as prey; to be fixed upon, or engaged with, anything. [Obs.] Thus made she her remove, And left wrath tiring on her son. --Chapman. Upon that were my thoughts tiring. --Shak.
\Tire\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Tired}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tiring}.] [OE. teorien to become weary, to fail, AS. teorian to be tired, be weary, to tire, exhaust; perhaps akin to E. tear to rend, the intermediate sense being, perhaps, to wear out; or cf. E. tarry.] To become weary; to be fatigued; to have the strength fail; to have the patience exhausted; as, a feeble person soon tires.
\Tire\, v. t. To exhaust the strength of, as by toil or labor; to exhaust the patience of; to wear out (one's interest, attention, or the like); to weary; to fatigue; to jade. --Shak. Tired with toil, all hopes of safety past. --Dryden. {To tire out}, to weary or fatigue to exhaustion; to harass. Syn: To jade; weary; exhaust; harass. See {Jade}.