Okuzeka
Automotive vocabulary · Brakes, Suspension, Steering and Tires

Tire

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/ˈtaɪər/nounCore term

In automotive, tire means: The rubber cover fitted around a wheel rim that grips the road and carries the weight of the vehicle. Most car tires are filled with air.

In Turkish: lastik, araç lastiği

How it is used

Common verbs are fit, rotate, inflate and replace. You read the tire size on the sidewall (for example 205/55 R16) and check tire pressure; seasonal changes are between summer and winter tires.

Example sentences

  1. The rear left tire has a slow puncture, so it loses pressure overnight.

  2. We fitted the winter tires and set the pressure to 2.3 bar.

Common collocations

  • tire pressure
  • tire size
  • winter tires
  • flat tire
  • tire rotation
  • tread depthThe depth of the grooves in a tire's tread, measured in millimeters. In many countries, including EU countries and Turkey, the legal minimum for car tires is 1.6 mm.
  • wheel alignmentThe adjustment of the wheel angles (toe, camber and caster) to the manufacturer's values, so the car drives straight and the tires wear evenly.
  • suspensionThe system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects the wheels to the body. It absorbs bumps and keeps the tires in contact with the road.
  • brakeA device that slows or stops a vehicle by pressing a friction material against a rotating disc or drum. Most cars have hydraulic disc brakes at the front.

More terms: Brakes, Suspension, Steering and Tires

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: