Definition
The structural body of a tire, made up of layers of rubber-coated cord fabric (plies) bonded together, which gives the tire its strength and shape and contains the inflation pressure. The tread, sidewalls, and beads are built onto and around the carcass.
Plain English
The main body of a tire — the layered framework underneath the tread that holds the tire's shape and carries the load.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft tire construction, tire inspection, and maintenance descriptions of tire damage or wear.
Derivation
From Old French 'carcasse,' meaning the framework or skeleton of a body. In tire terms, it refers to the underlying skeleton of the tire — the structure everything else is built on.
Why Pilots Care
Damage to the carcass can lead to tire failure during takeoff or landing.
Analogy
Think of the carcass like the frame inside a backpack. The outside may be what you see first, but the inner structure is what carries the load.
Intuition Check
Carcass does not mean a dead animal here. In aircraft tire use, it means the tire’s structural body under the tread.
Example Sentence 1
The technician rejected the tire because a deep cut had exposed the carcass cords.
Example Sentence 2
Retread shops remove the old tread to examine and repair the underlying carcass before applying new rubber.