wear and tear

or wear-and-tear

[ tair ]

/ tɛər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR wear and tear ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

damage or deterioration resulting from ordinary use; normal depreciation.

Nearby words

weaponize, weaponry, weapons carrier, weapons of mass destruction, wear, wear and tear, 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.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 7|Various
The wear-and-tear of rust is even faster than the tear-and-wear of work.
Character|Samuel Smiles

British Dictionary definitions for wear and tear

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

Idioms and Phrases with wear and tear

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]