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.