Origin and history of tire

"to weary, exhaust the strength of," also "to become weary;" from Old English teorian (Kentish tiorian) "to fail, cease; become weary; make weary, exhaust," of uncertain origin; according to Watkins possibly from Proto-Germanic *teuzon, from a suffixed form of PIE root *deu- (1) "to lack, be wanting." OED (1989) writes that it is difficult to determine its original form in the absence of Germanic cognates. Related: Tired; tiring.

late 15c., "iron plates forming a rim of a carriage wheel," probably from an extended use of tire "equipment, dress, covering, trappings or accoutrements of a knight" (c. 1300, tir), a shortened form of attire (n.). The notion would be of the tire as the "dressing" of the wheel. Theory that it is tie-er has been discarded.

Tire (n.) also was used late 15c. of a decorative metal edging for a bell. Also compare Middle English tirement "adornment, ornaments" (c. 1400, from Old French atirement); tirewoman "lady's maid, woman who dresses others" (1610s). Also the theatrical tiring-house (1580s) or tiring-room (1620s), where players dress for the stage.

The oldest spelling was tyre, which had shifted to tire in 17c.-18c., but since early 19c. tyre has revived in Great Britain and become standard there. Rubber tires, for bicycles (later automobiles) were in use from 1877. A tire-iron originally was one of the iron plates; as a length of steel flat at one end and used to separate a tire from a wheel, by 1909.

"furnish with a tire," by 1891, from tire (n.).