Tender Definition

tĕndər
tendered, tenderest, tenders, tenderer
adjective
tenderest, tenderer
Easily crushed or bruised; fragile.
A tender petal.
American Heritage
Soft or delicate and easily chewed, broken, cut, etc.; fragile, succulent, etc.
Webster's New World
Weak of constitution or physique; unable to endure pain, hardship, etc.; feeble; frail.
Webster's New World
Having weakness due to youth; immature; young.
The tender years.
Webster's New World
Of soft quality or delicate tone; subdued.
Tender colors.
Webster's New World
verb
tendered, tenders
To make tender.
Webster's New World
To treat with tenderness.
Webster's New World
To present for acceptance; offer.
To tender an invitation, apology, etc.
Webster's New World
To offer in payment of an obligation.
Webster's New World
To submit as a tender.
To tender a bid.
Webster's New World
noun
tenders
An offer of money, services, etc. made to satisfy an obligation, avoid legal action, etc.
Webster's New World
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.
Webster's New World
A formal offer, as:
American Heritage
Something offered in payment, esp. money.
Webster's New World
A person who tends, or has charge of, something.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Tender

Noun

Singular:
tender
Plural:
tenders

Adjective

Base Form:
tender
Comparative:
tenderer
Superlative:
tenderest

Origin of Tender

  • From French tendre to offer from Old French from Latin tendere to hold forth, extend ten- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old French tendre from Latin tener ten- in Indo-European roots N., possibly short for tenderloin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Old French tendre, from Latin tener (“soft, delicate").

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle French tendre (“stretch out").

    From Wiktionary

  • From tend +"Ž -er.

    From Wiktionary

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