Forms: 4 tyr, 5–9 tyre, 6 tier, 6–7 tyer, 6– tire. [Aphetic f. atir, ATTIRE sb.]
† 1. Apparatus, equipment, accoutrement, outfit: = ATTIRE sb. 1. Obs.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 7306 + st. ccli. A swift ernand stede … His tire it was ful gay.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 1245. That knight, With helm and plate and brini bright, His tire it was ful gay.
c. 1400. R. Gloucester’s Chron., 1188. A þousend gode kniȝtes þerinne were adreint & al hor atir [MSS. α, β tyr, tire] & tresour was also aseint.
1608. Shaks., Per., III. ii. 22. I much maruaile that your Lordship, Hauing rich tire about you, should at these early howers, Shake off the golden slumber of repose.
1622. F. Markham, Bk. War, III. x. § 5. Ordnance ready mounted with all their cooplements, Ornaments, Tires, and necessaries which belong vnto the same.
1705. J. Philips, Blenheim, 78. Immediate Sieges, and the Tire of War Rowl in thy eager Mind.
2. Dress, apparel, raiment; = ATTIRE sb. 3. arch.
† Bonnet of tire (Sc. Obs.), a cap of estate, cap of maintenance (see CAP sb.1 4 f).
13[?]. Coer de L., 332. In anothir tyre he hym dyght.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 883. Þat … ȝoure wiuus Ne gon in no gay tyr.
a. 1400. Siege of Troy, 1190, in Archiv neu. Spr., LXXII. 37. His modir … sende him into þeo lond of Parchy In a maydenes tyr [v.r. wede].
1473–4. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 32. To covir hire bonatis of tyre.
1536. Bellenden, Boece’s Cron. Scot., XIII. viii. (1821), II. 327. This legat als presentit ane bonat of tire, maid in maner of diademe, of purpoure hew; to signify that he was defendar of the faith.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., liii. 8. You in Grecian tires are painted new.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., xii. 517. Of all their stately tyres disrobed when they bee.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills (1872), IV. 81. It is not your flaunting Tires, Are the cause of Men’s Desires.
1850. Blackie, Æschylus, II. 96. Your tire rich-flaunting with barbaric pride Bespeaks you strangers.
† b. transf. and fig. ‘Vesture,’ ‘attire.’ Obs.
1594. Carew, Tasso (1881), 96. Or she her shamefast and downe clyned eyes With tire and taint of honesty embowres.
a. 1600. M. Cosowarth, in Farr, S. P. Eliz. (1845), II. 407. if thou disrobe me of th’ earthe’s tyre I weare.
a. 1660. Hammond, Serm., Wks. 1684, IV. 572. Had not the second person of the Trinity … come down in his tire and personation of flesh.
1695. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, VI. (1723), 294. They [plants] display themselves, shewing their whole Tire of Leaves.
3. spec. A covering, dress, or ornament for a woman’s head; a head-dress; = ATTIRE sb. 4; in some cases perh. confused with TIAR, tiara. Also transf. and fig. arch.
c. 1425. Cast. Persev., 223, in Macro Plays, 84. [Devil says] On Mankynde is my trost, in contre I-knowe, With my tyre & with my tayl, tytly to tene.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.), 442. Item … fur a peyer of tyres … and a serclett for my Lady Barnes.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron. Hen. VIII., 7. vi. ladyes … with marueylous ryche & straunge tiers on their heades.
1560. Bible (Genev.), Isa. iii. 18. In that day shal the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers, & the calles, & the rounde tyres. Ibid., 20. The tyres of the head, and the sloppes.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. x. 31. And on her head she wore a tyre of gold.
1610. Histrio-m., II. 117. Post. My maisters, what tire wears your lady on her head? Bel. Four squirrels tails tied in a true loves knot.
1630. Drayton, Muses Elizium, ii. 213. And for thy head Ile haue a Tyer Of netting.
1639. Bury Wills (Camden), 183. A mourning tire on their heads, such as gentlewomen weare at the time of ffuneralls.
1653. J. Hall, Paradoxes, 67. What Towers doe the Turkish Tires weare upon their womens heads?
1851. D. Wilson, Preh. Ann. (1863), II. III. v. 148. The maiden coronet or tire for the bair.
1851. C. L. Smith, trans. Tasso, I. xlvii. Her forehead lacked its tire.
1887. Suppl. to Jamieson, Tire, Tyre, a snood or narrow band for the hair, worn by females.
4. Ornamentation of various kinds: see quots. dial. or local.
1876. Whitby Gloss., Tire, the metallic embellishments of cabinet work.
1887. Suppl. to Jamieson, Tire, tyre … an ornamental edging used by cabinet-makers and upholsterers; the metal edging of coffins, which is also called coffin-tyre.
5. A pinafore or apron to protect the dress; also (perh. better) written tier: see TIER sb.2 4. U.S.
1846. Worcester, Tire … attire, a child’s apron. See Tier.
1849. Lowell, Biglow P., Ser. I. Introd. The humble schoolhouse … Where well-drilled urchins, each behind his tire, Waited in ranks the wished command to fire.
1864. Webster, Tire, a child’s apron,… a tier.
1867. O. W. Holmes, Guard. Angel, iii. The child untied her little ‘tire,’ got down from the table.
1880. Ellen H. Rollins (‘E. H. Arr’), New Eng. Bygones, viii. 114. This humble serving-woman, this ‘Hannah’ in her homespun tyre, filled with wild herbs and roots, carried healing with her to sick neighbors.
6. attrib. and Comb. (in sense 2; Obs. or arch.): tire-glass, a dressing-glass, toilet-glass; † tire-house, the wardrobe of a theater; also = TIRING-HOUSE; tire-maid = TIRE-WOMAN; † tire-maker, a head-dress-maker; † tire-man, (a) a man in charge of the costumes at a theater; (b) a man who assists at the toilet; a dresser or valet; also, a tailor; † tire-pin, a pin used in the toilet; tire-room, a dressing-room, tiring-room.
1844. Mrs. Browning, Duchess May, xxxv. In her *tire-glass gazed she.
c. 1620. Songs Lond. Prentices (Percy Soc.), 96. To the *tire-howse broke they in, Which some began to plunder.
1871. Rossetti, Dante at Verona, xiv. *Tire-maids hidden among these Drew close their loosened bodices.
1611. Rich, Honest. Age (Percy Soc.), 18. Shee holdeth on her way … to the *Tyre makers shoppe.
1611. Cotgr., Perruquiere, a Tyre-maker, or Attire-maker; a woman that makes Perriwigs, or Attires.
1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., Induct. To have his presence in the tiring-house … [to] curse the poor *tireman.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), I. 84. Neither the magistrate, nor the tire-men themselves, cou’d resolve, which of the various modes was the exact true-one.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1906), 63. The settinge of her *tyre pynnes and array.
1681. Religio Clerici, 52. Strip it naked of its plain English, and send it to be drest in their *Tire-room.
1855. Browning, Bp. Blougram’s Apol., 70. Then going in the tire-room afterward, Because the play was done, to shift himself.
