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A tire (American English) or tyre (British English; see spelling differences) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds the wheel rim to transfer the vehicle load from the wheel axle to the ground and provide traction to the surface above which the wheel travels. Most tires, such as those for cars and bicycles, are air-inflated structures that also provide a flexible cushion that absorbs shock as the tire rolls over uneven surfaces. These tires provide a footprint called a contact patch, which is designed to match the weight of the vehicle with the load-carrying force of surface rollover, providing bearing pressure that will not deform the surface excessively.

The materials of modern pneumatic tires are synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric, and wire, along with carbon black and other chemical compounds. They consist of a protector and a body. The tread provides traction, and the body limits the amount of compressed air. Before rubber was developed, the first versions of tires were simple metal strips attached around wooden wheels to prevent wear and tear. Early rubber tires were rigid (not pneumatic). Pneumatic tires are used for many types of vehicles, including cars, bicycles, motorcycles, buses, trucks, heavy equipment, and airplanes. Metal tires are still used for locomotives and railroad cars, while solid rubber (or other polymers) tires are still used in a variety of non-automotive applications such as some wheels, carts, mowers, and wheelbarrows.

The earliest tires were strips of leather, then iron (later steel) tires placed on wooden wheels used on carts and wagons. A skilled worker, known as a wheelwright, would cause the tire to expand by heating it in a forge fire, placing it on the wheel, and extinguishing it, causing the metal to shrink to its original size so that it fits snugly against the wheel.

The first patent for a standard pneumatic tire appeared in 1847 by Scottish inventor Robert William Thomson. However, it never went into production. The first practical pneumatic tire was made in 1888 on May Street, Belfast, by the Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop, owner of one of the most prosperous veterinary clinics in Ireland. It was an attempt to save his 10-year-old son Johnnie from a headache while riding a tricycle on uneven surfaces. His physician John, later Sir John Fagan, instructed the boy to ride a bicycle as an exercise and was a regular visitor. Fagan helped develop the first pneumatic tires. Cyclist Willie Hume demonstrated the superiority of Dunlop tires in 1889, winning the first tire races in Ireland and then England.

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