Obs. Forms: 5–6 tire, tyre, 6 tyer(e. [app. named from Tyre in Syria. Cf. OF. tire, tyre, silk cloth from Tyre.
‘Tire, if not of Syrian growth, was probably a Calabrian or Sicilian wine, manufactured from the species of grape called [in Italian] tirio’ (Furnivall in Note to quot. c. 1460).]
A strong sweet wine imported in the 15th and 16th centuries. Also attrib.
1429. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 361/1. Tires and Romeneys at iiii marc’.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv. (E.E.T.S.), 483. Tyre wyne, or wyne tyre.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 119. The namys of swete wynes … Rompney of modon, Bastard, Tyre, Ozey.
1519. Inferl. Four Elem. (Percy Soc.), 22. Ye shall have Spayneshe wyne and Gascoyn … Tyre, capryck, and malvesyne.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (1531), 53 b. There groweth the myghty swete wynes, as malueseys, tyeres & muscadels.
1556. Withals, Dict. (1566) H j/2. Tyre, Vinum Tyrense, ex Tyro insula.
1587. Harrison, England, II. vi., in Holinshed, Chron., I. 167/2. Whereof … Bastard, Tire, Oseie … are not least of all accompted of, bicause of their strength and valure.
