Ok guys..i don't want to sound like a dumbass or anything here but what does each number stand for in tire size'*..??

For example my tires are 215/45/ZR17

obiously the 17 stands for 17" due to the size of my rims...but the 215 and the 45 is whats confusing me. Help the newb..

yes, the 215 is the width while the 45 is the aspect ratio from width to height

yeah, so you're tire is 215 mm across (8 3/4 inches) across the treads, and 96.75 mm (~4 inches) from inner diameter to outer diameter (ie sidewall height). This makes for a wheel and tire combo 24.9 inches high form top to bottom. Fun with math, yeah.