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Glite Dictionary
rubber tire

rubber tire

1 1.6
A ring of rubber around a wheel that touches the road
  • noun
  • /ˈrʌbər taɪər/
  • US
translation icon : neumático de goma
  • PHOTO (COLOR): Three million scrap tires are recovered annually at the Roll-Gom plant in France, where rubber is ground into fine powder, then used to produce casters and solid rubber tires for industrial equipment, dollies and carts.
  • solid rubber tires
  • white rubber tires
  • old rubber tire

The it's called a coefficient of friction between a rubber tire and concrete.

Examples

  • Mixing shredded rubber tires and asphalt together to make a more pliable patch.

    Academic text (2008)

  • Far to the north, he could hear the occasional whine of rubber tires on pavement.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • I want a big raw rubber tire.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Hell, it was the first trip I'd had all year on rubber tires.

    Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)

  • There were no more new cars, trucks, or rubber tires available until long after the war was over.

    Blog text (11)

  • Goodrich designed long-lasting rubber tires.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Whether the vehicle has rubber tires or steel wheels, or anything else, what people care about most is getting to their destination in a reasonable time and in a civilized fashion.

    Blog text (13)

  • Feet don't seem to get the magic of Disney. Maybe Disney should look into paving with recycled rubber tires like some playgrounds.

    Blog text (31)

  • The red dust road was still damp with dew, and the Nutt, worn rubber tires didn't even make a murmur.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Many modern vehicles rely on rubber tires for better traction and comfort on the road.

Synonyms

tire
vsrubber tire
  • US
665 1.0

A thick rubber ring that fits around a vehicle wheel and holds air

is the same wheel rim ring but highlights material as the defining feature
car tire
vsrubber tire
  • US
2 1.0

A round rubber cover that fits a car wheel, holds air, and helps the car grip the road

is the general term for the wheel rim ring typically for passenger vehicles
auto tire
vsrubber tire
  • US
1 1.6

A rubber ring on a car wheel that helps the ride be smooth and gives grip

refers more generally to the same wheel ring used on such vehicles
pneumatic tire
vsrubber tire
  • US
1 3.6

A rubber cover filled with air that fits a car or bicycle wheel

is the usual form fitted on passenger vehicle rims rather than all air filled types
automobile tire
vsrubber tire
  • US
2.1

A rubber covering on a car wheel that gives grip and makes the ride smoother

is the broader name for the same wheel ring used mainly on passenger vehicles

Surface Forms

rubber tire singular
rubber tires plural
rubber tyres plural
rubber tyre singular

Morphology

rubber + tire

The meaning is directly compositional: a 'tire' made of 'rubber', so a learner who knows both words can accurately infer the phrase. This material + object compound is cross-linguistically common and follows ordinary English noun modification, making it immediately understandable to B1 learners.

Etymology

Rubber tire comes from the simple picture of a ring of rubber put around the tire, the outer band of a wheel. That clear image, a rubber ring around the wheel, is why the phrase means 'a rubber ring fitted around the rim of a wheel' today.