tender Hear it!

tender¹ Definition

ten·der (ten′dər)

adjective

  1. soft or delicate and easily chewed, broken, cut, etc.; fragile, succulent, etc.
  2. weak of constitution or physique; unable to endure pain, hardship, etc.; feeble; frail
  3. having weakness due to youth; immature; young the tender years
  4. of soft quality or delicate tone; subdued tender colors
  5. that requires careful handling; ticklish; delicate a tender question
  6. gentle, mild, or light; not rough or heavy a tender touch
    1. that has or expresses affection, love, consideration, etc. a tender smile
    2. careful; considerate tender of another's feelings
  8. sparing; chary tender of one's praise
    1. acutely sensitive, as to pain, insult, etc.
    2. sensitive to impressions, emotions, moral influences, etc.; impressionable a tender conscience
    3. sensitive to others' feelings; sympathetic; compassionate a tender heart
  10. giving physical pain, as from overuse or when not fully healed; painful; hurting a tender pitching arm
  11. Naut. tending to lean over under sail; crank

Etymology: ME tendre < OFr < L tener, soft, delicate, tender, prob. altered (infl. by tenuis, thin) < Sabine terenum, soft, akin to Gr terēn, tender < IE *ter-, tender, weak, orig., rubbed, worn down < base *ter-, to rub > throw

transitive verb

  1. to make tender
  2. Archaic to treat with tenderness

tender¹ Related Forms
ten′·derly adverb ten′·der·ness noun
tender² Definition

ten·der (ten′dər)

transitive verb

  1. to offer in payment of an obligation
  2. to present for acceptance; offer to tender an invitation, apology, etc.
  3. to submit as a tender to tender a bid

Etymology: Fr tendre < L tendere, to stretch, extend, tend

noun

  1. an offer of money, services, etc. made to satisfy an obligation, avoid legal action, etc.
  2. a formal offer, as a proposal of marriage, a bid stating terms of a contract, or a bid on a printed form submitted to buy securities at a certain price
  3. ☆ something offered in payment, esp. money

tender² Related Forms
ten′·derer noun
tender³ Definition

ten·der (ten′dər)

noun

  1. a person who tends, or has charge of, something
    1. an auxiliary ship for supplying or servicing another ship or a submarine, seaplane, buoys, etc.
    2. a boat for carrying passengers, etc. to or from a ship close to shore
  3. a railroad car carrying fuel and water for a steam locomotive, to the rear of which it is attached

tender Synonyms

tender

modif.

  1. Soft

    delicate, fragile, supple; see soft 2.

  2. Youthful

    immature, childish, childlike; see young 1.

  3. Kind

    kind, warm, warmhearted, sympathetic, loving, solicitous, compassionate; see also kind.

  4. Weak

    fragile, frail, delicate; see weak 1.

  5. Touching

    moving, pathetic, affecting; see pitiful 1.

  6. Sensitive

    delicate, dainty, touchy, ticklish, oversensitive, hypersensitive, painful; see also raw 5, sore.

tender implies a softness or gentleness in one's relations with others that is expressive of warm affection, concern, etc. a tender caress; compassionate is applied to one who is easily affected by another's troubles or pains and is quick to show pity or mercy a compassionate judge; sympathetic implies the ability or disposition to enter into another's mental state or emotions and thus to share sorrows, joys, desires, etc. a sympathetic interest in a colleague's career; warm and warmhearted suggest an interest or affection characterized by cordiality, generosity, etc. warm, or warmhearted, hospitality

tender Synonyms

tender

v.

proffer, present, give; see offer 1.

tender Law Definition

n

  1. An unconditional offer of performance in order to satisfy a debt. It may be offered to save the party making the tender from a penalty for nonpayment or lack of performance. On the other hand, if the other party should refuse the tender without a justifiable reason, that party may be placed in default.
  2. Something offered in order to settle a debt or obligation.
  3. An offer put forward in hope of acceptance.
  4. Something that serves as a means of payment, such as banknotes or coin (as in, legal tender).
tender of delivery
The placement by a seller at the disposal of the buyer, that is, arranging delivery of those paid for goods in a timely manner.
tender Usage Examples

Object

  • process: A national tendering process was carried out to identify the 27 pilot programs.

Converse of object

  • invite: An advert was placed in the OJEC in early March inviting tenders with a closing date of 23rd April 2004.
  • submit: It will be entirely at their discretion whether or not they wish to submit a tender in due course.
  • advertize: We will continue to advertize tenders in professional and local publications.
  • win: Three Optare Solos have been ordered for recently won tenders in Oxford due to commence on 4th June.

Adjective modifier

  • advantageous: The NAO will award work to the economically most advantageous tender.
  • competitive: The following contracts are being put out to competitive tender.
  • legal: No; all Bank of England notes whether legal tender or not retain their face value for all time.
  • sealed: As you know recently we submitted a sealed tender to acquire a freehold day center in Edgware, North London.

Modifies a noun

  • mercy: Shall I go astray after so much loving kindness and tender mercy?
  • perennial: There is no shortage of plants to choose from among hardy and half-hardy annuals or hardy and tender perennials.
  • affection: Love is a profound feeling of tender affection for or intense attraction to another.
  • lamb: The Lamb Karahi contained a good quantity of tender lamb and a pleasant and not overpowering curry sauce.
  • age: In 1983, at the tender age of 26, he shot himself.
  • conscience: There is a twofold shame: the shame of a guilty conscience, and the shame of a tender conscience.

Noun used with modifier

  • gallon: The 3500 gallon tenders recovered from the Us were altered to suit the left hand drive of the Qs.
  • bogie: Lastly, some of the Urie bogie tenders and all of the straight-sided bogie ones had vacuum storage cylinders behind the coal space.
  • cargo: If you can imagine, the tons of food and equipment are brought to the jetty in a small cargo tender.
  • lighthouse: It contains most of the books published in the world about lighthouses, light vessels and lighthouse tenders.

Preposition: for

  • contract: DH invited manufacturers to tender for a contract to supply pandemic flu vaccine once the pandemic strain is known.
tender Quotes

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind; Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave. I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

—Millay, Edna St Vincent

L'amour, c'est l'espace et le temps rendus sensibles au c½ur. Love is space and time made tender to the heart.

—Proust, Marcel

   When Jesus came to Birmingham they simply passed Him by, They never hurt a hair of him, they only let Him die. For menhadgrownmoretenderandthey wouldnot give Him pain, Theyonlyjust passeddownthestreet, and left Himinthe rain.

—'Woodbine Willie'

Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life and bid thee feed By the stream and o'er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice? Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee?

—Blake,William

To each his suff'rings, all are men, Condemned alike to groan; The tender for another's pain, Th'unfeeling for his own. Yet ah! why should they know their fate? Since sorrow never comes too late, And happiness too swiftly flies. Thought would destroy their paradise. No more; where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise.

—Gray,Thomas

   Tender is the Night.

—Fitzgerald, F(rancis) Scott Key

   O Swallow, Swallow, flying, flying South, Fly to her, and fall upon her gilded eaves, And tell her, tell her, what I tell to thee. O tell her, Swallow, thou that knowest each, That bright and fierce and fickle is the South, And dark and true and tender is the North.

—Tennyson

In things that are tender and unpleasing, it isgood to break the ice by some whose words are of less weight, and to reserve the more weighty voice to come in as by chance.

—Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans