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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TIRE, v., n.¹ Also teire, †tyre. [′təi(ə)r, ′tɑe(ə)r]

I. v. 1. As in Eng. Pa.t. teirt (Abd. 1935 M. C. Wilson Sutor's Sujaistions 5), tiret (Abd. 1879 G. MacDonald Sir Gibbie xx., 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 55, Abd. 1971), †tyred. Sc. derivs. tiretness, tiredness (Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 125); tireteese ( < tireties, pa.p. + affectionate dim. suff. in pl.), tired, in child's lang.Abd. 1882 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 66:
Peer wifie; it's growin' unco tireteese, But it's a richt gweed wifockie.

2. To grow weary of waiting for, to long for or to (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 95).Sc. 1801 G. Ewing Mem. B. Ewing (1829) 41:
I really tire for your letters.Ags. 1807 V. Jacob Lairds of Dun (1931) 287:
We are tiring to go to Dun very much.

II. n. A state of being or becoming tired, fatigue, weariness (Sh., n.Sc., Ags., Slg. 1972). Also in n.Eng. dial. Phrs. nae to hae a tire, to be tireless, to have an endless capacity for work, etc. (Id.); wintin tire, tirelessly.Sc. 1822 A. Sutherland Cospatrick I. 225:
He's like to drap doune wi' tire.Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 135:
Nor wad hae had o' list'nin ony tire.Knr. 1886 H. Haliburton Horace 94:
Thro' the creepin' tire O' life's last stage.Per. 1896 I. Maclaren Brier Bush 270:
Noo, Bell ma wumman, yir near deid wi' tire, an' nae wonder.Abd. 1922 G. P. Dunbar Whiff o' Doric 27:
An' clakkin' tongues gaed wintin' tire In lordly ha'.Lth. 1928 S. A. Robertson With Double Tongue 35:
I get unco' doon-hertit, maybe wi' the tire.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 95:
Loons wisna suppos't to hae a tire.Ags. 1935 Times (29 April) 10:
Tire's nae term. (The mere fact that you are tired is no good reason for wishing to change your job.)Abd. 1969 Huntly Express (8 Aug.) 2:
Wirkin' chiels an' nae a tire in them.