tender
1 Americanadjective
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soft or delicate in substance; not hard or tough.
a tender steak.
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weak or delicate in constitution; not strong or hardy.
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(of plants) unable to withstand freezing temperatures.
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young or immature.
children of tender age.
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delicate or soft in quality.
tender blue.
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delicate, soft, or gentle.
the tender touch of her hand.
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easily moved to sympathy or compassion; kind.
a tender heart.
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affectionate or loving; sentimental or amatory.
a tender glance.
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acutely or painfully sensitive.
a tender bruise.
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easily distressed; readily made uneasy.
a tender conscience.
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yielding readily to force or pressure; easily broken; fragile.
These roofing shingles are too old and tender.
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of a delicate or ticklish nature; requiring careful or tactful handling.
a tender subject.
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considerate or careful; wary or reluctant (usually followed byof ).
He was tender of imposing his views on others.
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Nautical. crank.
noun
verb (used with object)
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to make tender.
He tendered the meat in his special marinade before throwing it on the grill.
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Archaic. to regard or treat tenderly.
verb (used with object)
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to present formally for acceptance; make formal offer of.
to tender one's resignation.
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to offer or proffer.
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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)
noun
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the act of tendering; an offer of something for acceptance.
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something tendered or offered, especially money, as in payment.
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Commerce. an offer made in writing by one party to another to execute certain work, supply certain commodities, etc., at a given cost; bid.
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Law. an offer, as of money or goods, in payment or satisfaction of a debt or other obligation.
noun
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a person who tends; a person who attends to or takes charge of someone or something.
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an auxiliary ship employed to attend one or more other ships, as for supplying provisions.
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a dinghy carried or towed by a yacht.
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Railroads. a car attached to a steam locomotive for carrying fuel and water.
adjective
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easily broken, cut, or crushed; soft; not tough
a tender steak
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easily damaged; vulnerable or sensitive
a tender youth
at a tender age
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having or expressing warm and affectionate feelings
a tender smile
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kind, merciful, or sympathetic
a tender heart
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arousing warm feelings; touching
a tender memory
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gentle and delicate
a tender breeze
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requiring care in handling; ticklish
a tender question
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painful or sore
a tender wound
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sensitive to moral or spiritual feelings
a tender conscience
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careful or protective
tender of one's emotions
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(of a sailing vessel) easily keeled over by a wind; crank Compare stiff
verb
verb
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(tr) to give, present, or offer
to tender one's resignation
tender a bid
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to make a formal offer or estimate for (a job or contract)
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(tr) law to offer (money or goods) in settlement of a debt or claim
noun
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the act or an instance of tendering; offer
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commerce a formal offer to supply specified goods or services at a stated cost or rate
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something, esp money, used as an official medium of payment
legal tender
noun
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a small boat, such as a dinghy, towed or carried by a yacht or ship
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a vehicle drawn behind a steam locomotive to carry the fuel and water
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an ancillary vehicle used to carry supplies, spare parts, etc, for a mobile operation, such as an outside broadcast
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a person who tends
Related Words
See offer.
Other Word Forms
- self-tenderness noun
- tenderable adjective
- tenderer noun
- tenderly adverb
- tenderness noun
Etymology
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Late spring gets the romance: tender asparagus, first peas, market bouquets staged like still lifes.
From Salon
Three days later, Paramount announced it was taking a tender offer directly to shareholders.
The current tender is due to expire in two days' time, on 1 March.
From BBC
He maintained a strong and tender marriage, despite his fling with Kahlo, and tried to keep up with the times during breaks from work on his biography of Stalin.
It’s a great outcome for Paramount, which only had to raise its hostile tender offer by $1 a share to avoid a prolonged bidding war.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
