tender

¹

[ ten-der ]

adjective

, ten·der·er, ten·der·est.

1. soft or delicate in substance; not hard or tough:

   a tender steak.

2. weak or delicate in constitution; not strong or hardy.
3. (of plants) unable to withstand freezing temperatures.
4. young or immature:

   children of tender age.

5. delicate or soft in quality:

   tender blue.

6. delicate, soft, or gentle:

   the tender touch of her hand.

7. easily moved to sympathy or compassion; kind:

   a tender heart.

8. affectionate or loving; sentimental or amatory:

   a tender glance.

9. acutely or painfully sensitive:

   a tender bruise.

10. easily distressed; readily made uneasy:

    a tender conscience.

11. yielding readily to force or pressure; easily broken; fragile:

    These roofing shingles are too old and tender.

12. of a delicate or ticklish nature; requiring careful or tactful handling:

    a tender subject.

13. considerate or careful; wary or reluctant (usually followed by of ):

    He was tender of imposing his views on others.

14. Nautical. crank ²( def 1 ).

noun

1. Usually ten·ders.
   1. a strip of chicken meat loosely attached to the underside of each breast half, along the breastbone.
   2. a boneless and skinless strip of chicken cut from the breast or thigh.

verb (used with object)

1. to make tender:

   He tendered the meat in his special marinade before throwing it on the grill.

2. Archaic. to regard or treat tenderly.

tender

²

[ ten-der ]

verb (used with object)

1. to present formally for acceptance; make formal offer of:

   to tender one's resignation.

2. to offer or proffer.
3. Law. to offer, as money or goods, in payment of a debt or other obligation, especially in exact accordance with the terms of the law and of the obligation.

verb (used without object)

1. to make or submit a bid (often followed by for ).

noun

1. the act of tendering; an offer of something for acceptance.

   Synonyms: proffer, proposal

2. something tendered or offered, especially money, as in payment.
3. Commerce. an offer made in writing by one party to another to execute certain work, supply certain commodities, etc., at a given cost; bid.
4. Law. an offer, as of money or goods, in payment or satisfaction of a debt or other obligation.

tender

³

[ ten-der ]

noun

1. a person who tends; a person who attends to or takes charge of someone or something.
2. an auxiliary ship employed to attend one or more other ships, as for supplying provisions.
3. a dinghy carried or towed by a yacht.
4. Railroads. a car attached to a steam locomotive for carrying fuel and water.

tender

¹

/ ˈtɛndə /

adjective

1. easily broken, cut, or crushed; soft; not tough

   a tender steak

2. easily damaged; vulnerable or sensitive

   a tender youth

   at a tender age

3. having or expressing warm and affectionate feelings

   a tender smile

4. kind, merciful, or sympathetic

   a tender heart

5. arousing warm feelings; touching

   a tender memory

6. gentle and delicate

   a tender breeze

7. requiring care in handling; ticklish

   a tender question

8. painful or sore

   a tender wound

9. sensitive to moral or spiritual feelings

   a tender conscience

10. postpositivefoll byof careful or protective

    tender of one's emotions

11. (of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by a wind; crank Compare stiff

verb

1. rare.
   tr
   1. to make tender
   2. to treat tenderly

tender

²

/ ˈtɛndə /

verb

1. tr to give, present, or offer

   to tender one's resignation

   tender a bid

2. intrfoll byfor to make a formal offer or estimate for (a job or contract)
3. tr law to offer (money or goods) in settlement of a debt or claim

noun

1. the act or an instance of tendering; offer
2. commerce a formal offer to supply specified goods or services at a stated cost or rate
3. something, esp money, used as an official medium of payment

   legal tender

tender

³

/ ˈtɛndə /

noun

1. a small boat, such as a dinghy, towed or carried by a yacht or ship
2. a vehicle drawn behind a steam locomotive to carry the fuel and water
3. an ancillary vehicle used to carry supplies, spare parts, etc, for a mobile operation, such as an outside broadcast
4. a person who tends

Derived Forms

• ˈtenderly, adverb
• ˈtenderness, noun
• ˈtenderer, noun
• ˈtenderable, adjective

Other Words From

• ten·der·ly adverb
• ten·der·ness noun
• self-ten·der·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tender¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, variant of tendre, from Old French, from Latin tenerum, accusative of tener “tender”

Origin of tender²

First recorded in 1535–45; earlier tendre, noun use of Anglo-French tendre “to extend, offer”; tend ¹

Origin of tender³

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; originally a variant of attender; tend ², -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tender¹

C13: from Old French tendre, from Latin tener delicate

Origin of tender²

C16: from Anglo-French tendre, from Latin tendere to extend; see tend ¹

Origin of tender³

C15: variant of attender

Idioms and Phrases

see leave to someone's tender mercies .

Synonym Study

See offer.

Example Sentences

If the team tenders Allen by March 17, his one-year salary would be $850,000.

From Washington Post

Toubia said the company will even be able to adapt the steak to a specific country or palate, for instance, making it more or less tender, according to a consumer’s taste.

From Washington Post

It may not be a sharp, dazzling Tully, but sometimes a tender, unpretentious Kate makes better company anyway.

From Time

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

From Washington Post

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.

From Washington Post

According to Swiss press reports, younger cats in the litter are the most tender and, as such, are the preferred cat cuts.

From The Daily Beast

She became an international sensation at the tender age of two—before she even started pre-school—for her abstract works of art.

From The Daily Beast

Not surprisingly, a construction company in his region has already submitted a tender to build the project.

From The Daily Beast

This is why she need [sic] more tender loving care than the strong ones.

From The Daily Beast

Always spare, often forceful, Ryan Adams alternates tough pop songs with tender, unsparing ballads.

From The Daily Beast

I cannot reconcile the idea of a tender Heavenly Father with the known horrors of war, slavery, pestilence, and insanity.

From Project Gutenberg

The Café tender was asleep in his chair; the porter had gone off; the sentinel alone kept awake on his post.

From Project Gutenberg

But she kept the same tone, and its tender archness only gave a greater sweetness to his sense of relief.

From Project Gutenberg

She spoke with such a serious, tender grace, that Gordon seemed stirred to his depths again.

From Project Gutenberg

For Lettice—the tender woman of his first acquaintance—had obviously experienced a moment of reaction.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• gentle
• mild
• mushy
• poignant
• romantic
• sentimental
• soft
• thoughtful
• touching
• warm