spare tire

noun

1. a tire used or kept available as an emergency replacement on a vehicle.
2. Informal. excess fat around the waistline.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spare tire¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Idioms and Phrases

Fat around one's middle, as in He's determined to lose ten pounds and that spare tire he's acquired . This expression transfers the term for an extra tire carried in cars in case of a flat tire to excess fat around the waist. [ Colloquial ; mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

“It was fine because we had a spare tire.”

From Los Angeles Times

In your car, you should have a kit with a first aid kit, a blanket, a change of clothes, cash to buy gas, a spare tire and emergency food and water.

From Los Angeles Times

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Thursday that water can accumulate in the spare tire wheel well and damage the fuel pump control unit.

From Seattle Times

Fuel canisters and spare tires are stashed by his washing machine in case he needs to leave the city in a hurry.

From Seattle Times

It was only when the group donated used cars and spare tires to his military unit with the proceeds from the inscriptions that he believed the operation was legitimate, he said.

From Washington Post