wear and tear
or wear-and-tear
[ tair ]
/ tɛər /
noun
damage or deterioration resulting from ordinary use; normal depreciation.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
depletion, erosion, depreciation, attrition, consumption, dissipation, decrement, ablation, overuse, weathering
Nearby words
- weaponize,
- weaponry,
- weapons carrier,
- weapons of mass destruction,
- wear,
- wear another hat,
- wear down,
- wear off,
- wear one's heart on one's sleeve,
- wear out
Origin of wear and tear
First recorded in 1660–70
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for wear and tear
Even the London scenery is faithfully reproduced in material of extra strength, to stand the wear-and-tear of constant removal.
The wear-and-tear of rust is even faster than the tear-and-wear of work.
Character|Samuel Smiles
wear and tear
noun
damage, depreciation, or loss resulting from ordinary use
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
wear and tear
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]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.