The Tyre May Be Named From Attire
To tire is to grow weary. A separate tire is the rubber covering on a wheel.
To tire is to become weary; a tire, spelled *tyre* in British English, is the rubber covering of a wheel. They are separate words. The weariness is Old English *teorian*, to fail. The wheel covering probably comes from *attire*, in the sense of the wheel's clothing or dress, which is why the original iron ones were said to *tire* a wheel. Pneumatic tyres were patented twice: by Robert Thomson in 1845, forgotten, and again by John Boyd Dunlop in 1888.
- To grow weary. *Tiring quickly.*
- A wheel covering. *A flat tyre.*
- Tiresome. *A tiresome delay.*
- Tyre — British spelling. *A tyre.*
- Old English — *teorian*. *The weariness.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | tire | Tiring. |
| Noun | tire | A tire. |
| British | tyre | A tyre. |
| Adjective | tireless | Tireless. |
| Related | attire | Attire. |
- He tires easily.Weariness.
- The tyre went flat.Wheel.
- Dunlop patented it in 1888.History.
The pneumatic tyre, twice
- Robert Thomson patented an air-filled tyre in 1845
- Rubber technology was not ready and it was forgotten
- John Boyd Dunlop reinvented it in 1888 for his son's tricycle
- He was a vet, not an engineer
- Thomson's earlier patent later invalidated Dunlop's
The verb is Old English *teorian*, to fail or cease. The wheel covering is probably from *attire*.
Why is a wheel covering called a tire?
Probably from attire, in the sense of the wheel's clothing, from the days of iron bands fitted to wooden wheels.
Who invented the pneumatic tyre?
Robert Thomson in 1845, forgotten, and then John Boyd Dunlop independently in 1888.