tender









tender


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. 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)

  1. to make tender.
  2. Archaic. to regard or treat tenderly.

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.
  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.

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.

adjective

  1. easily broken, cut, or crushed; soft; not tougha tender steak
  2. easily damaged; vulnerable or sensitivea tender youth; at a tender age
  3. having or expressing warm and affectionate feelingsa tender smile
  4. kind, merciful, or sympathetica tender heart
  5. arousing warm feelings; touchinga tender memory
  6. gentle and delicatea tender breeze
  7. requiring care in handling; ticklisha tender question
  8. painful or sorea tender wound
  9. sensitive to moral or spiritual feelingsa tender conscience
  10. (postpositive foll by of) careful or protectivetender of one’s emotions
  11. (of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by a wind; crankCompare stiff (def. 10)

verb

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

verb

  1. (tr) to give, present, or offerto tender one’s resignation; tender a bid
  2. (intr foll by for) 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 paymentlegal tender

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

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. adj.

  1. Easily crushed or bruised; fragile.
  2. Easily hurt; sensitive.
  3. Painful; sore.

see leave to someone’s tender mercies.

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