"row, rank, range," 1569, from M.Fr. tire, from O.Fr. tire "rank, sequence, order" (c.1210), probably from tirer "to draw, draw out" (see
tirade). Some suggests the O.Fr. noun is from a Gmc. source akin to O.H.G. ziari, Ger. Zier "adornment," O.E. tir "glory, honor."