tender1

[ten-der] /ˈtɛn dər/
adjective, tenderer, tenderest.
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.
considerate or careful; chary or reluctant (usually followed by of).
10.
acutely or painfully sensitive:
a tender bruise.
11.
easily distressed; readily made uneasy:
a tender conscience.
12.
yielding readily to force or pressure; easily broken; fragile.
13.
of a delicate or ticklish nature; requiring careful or tactful handling:
a tender subject.
14.
Nautical, crank2 (def 1).
verb (used with object)
15.
to make tender.
16.
Archaic. to regard or treat tenderly.
Origin
1175-1225; Middle English, variant of tendre < Old French < Latin tenerum, accusative of tener tender
Related forms
tenderly, adverb
tenderness, noun
self-tenderness, noun
untenderly, adverb

tender2

[ten-der] /ˈtɛn dər/
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)
4.
to make or submit a bid (often followed by for).
noun
5.
the act of tendering; an offer of something for acceptance.
6.
something tendered or offered, especially money, as in payment.
7.
Commerce. an offer made in writing by one party to another to execute certain work, supply certain commodities, etc., at a given cost; bid.
8.
Law. an offer, as of money or goods, in payment or satisfaction of a debt or other obligation.
Origin
1535-45; earlier tendre, noun use of Anglo-French tendre to extend, offer. See tend1
Related forms
tenderer, noun
Synonyms
1. See offer. 5. proposal, proffer.

tender3

[ten-der] /ˈtɛn dər/
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.
Origin
1425-75; late Middle English; orig. aphetic variant of attender; see tend2, -er1
Examples from the web for tender
  • My jaw and facial muscles are almost always sore and tender.
  • In fact, he was more often lyrical and tender: instead of scraggy crows, soft-footed cats.
  • Saute alligator meat in a small amount of olive oil until tender, and set aside.
  • It was tender without being mushy-almost velvety-with a lightly nutty flavor.
  • The musk strawberry has mottled brownish red or rose-violet skin, and tender white flesh.
  • Giraffes' long necks are perfectly suited to harvesting tender leaves beyond the reach of other herbivores.
  • TV and computer screens were alight, airplanes were aloft and cash machines were dispensing legal tender.
  • For there is often a monstrous incongruity between the hopes, however noble and tender, and the actions that follows them.
  • She hints that more stress should be placed at this tender age on language and social skills than on reading and writing.
  • The trouble often starts with the way contracts are awarded, typically by tender.
British Dictionary definitions for tender

tender1

/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.
(postpositive) foll by of. careful or protective: tender of one's emotions
11.
(of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by a wind; crank Compare stiff (sense 10)
verb
12.
(transitive) (rare)
  1. to make tender
  2. to treat tenderly
Derived Forms
tenderly, adverb
tenderness, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old French tendre, from Latin tener delicate

tender2

/ˈtɛndə/
verb
1.
(transitive) to give, present, or offer: to tender one's resignation, tender a bid
2.
(intransitive) foll by for. to make a formal offer or estimate for (a job or contract)
3.
(transitive) (law) to offer (money or goods) in settlement of a debt or claim
noun
4.
the act or an instance of tendering; offer
5.
(commerce) a formal offer to supply specified goods or services at a stated cost or rate
6.
something, esp money, used as an official medium of payment: legal tender
Derived Forms
tenderable, adjective
tenderer, noun
Word Origin
C16: from Anglo-French tendre, from Latin tendere to extend; see tend1

tender3

/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
Word Origin
C15: variant of attender
Word Origin and History for tender
adj.

"soft, easily injured," early 13c., from Old French tendre "soft, delicate, tender" (11c.), from Latin tenerem (nominative tener) "soft, delicate, of tender age," from PIE *ten- "stretch" (see tenet). Meaning "kind, affectionate, loving" first recorded c.1300. Meaning "having the delicacy of youth, immature" is attested from early 14c. Tender-hearted first recorded 1530s.

v.

"to offer formally," 1540s, from Middle French tendre "to offer, hold forth" (11c.), from Latin tendere "to stretch, extend" (see tenet). The retention of the ending of the French infinitive is unusual. The noun meaning "formal offer" is from 1540s; specific sense of "money that may be legally offered as payment" is from 1740.

n.

"person who tends another," late 15c., probably an agent noun formed from Middle English tenden "attend to" (see tend (2)); later extended to locomotive engineers (1825) and barmen (1883). The meaning "small boat used to attend larger ones" first recorded 1670s.

tender in Medicine

tender ten·der (těn'dər)
adj. ten·der·er, ten·der·est

  1. Easily crushed or bruised; fragile.

  2. Easily hurt; sensitive.

  3. Painful; sore.

Idioms and Phrases with tender

tender

see: leave to someone's tender mercies