wear and tear

Or wear-and-tear

[tair]

noun

1. damage or deterioration resulting from ordinary use; normal depreciation.

wear and tear

noun

1. damage, depreciation, or loss resulting from ordinary use

Word History and Origins

Origin of wear and tear¹

First recorded in 1660–70

Idioms and Phrases

Damage and deterioration resulting from ordinary use and exposure, as in This sofa shows a lot of wear and tear; we should replace it. [Second half of 1600s]

Related Words

• depletion www.thesaurus.com
• depreciation 
• erosion